“ONE SMALL STEP for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind,” was Neil Armstrong’s famous remark after he had landed on the moon in 1969. Often quoted across geographies, this remark summarises the import of every single initiative – big or small - in driving the progress of humanity.
The health care industry in India has recently witnessed a development that will go a long way in ensuring the correct diagnosis of diseases, especially in smaller towns and rural areas. L&T Technology Services (LTTS), in partnership with Agappe Diagnostics has, in October, launched Mispa CountX, India’s first indigenously developed blood cell counter.
WHY IS IT A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT?
Despite massive strides in the field of healthcare, basic healthcare remains a distant dream for many in India. The lack of the necessary infrastructure, the high cost of treatment and the corresponding low-income level do not augur well for a healthy citizenry. Early diagnosis of diseases is critical for taking preventive measures, but the labs in rural India are not equipped to facilitate these essential procedures. This often results in wrong or delayed diagnosis, endangering the lives of patients.
Keeping this in mind, Agappe Diagnostics – a leading diagnostics reagents and equipment manufacturer – decided to procure a low-cost device capable of delivering speedy and accurate blood analysis. With rich expertise in creating cutting-edge medical devices for developing markets, LTTS became Agappe’s R&D partner of choice to design and develop the device. And despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, LTTS delivered the low-cost hematology device - Mispa CountX – to Agappe in October.
The new device will dramatically reduce the cost of blood analysis without compromising on accuracy. As such, this is yet another ‘small step’ that is set to revolutionise blood analysis, and in turn, diagnosis of diseases in rural India.
