Gujarat State Health Department Partners with SSIP to Instill Entrepreneurship Spirit  among Medical Students

The initiative aims to enhance the entrepreneurial mindset among medical students in the state. This will be achieved through a dual approach: offering financial incentives and mentorship, specifically targeting startups addressing societal and medical requirements.

Gujarat State Health Department and the Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to encourage medical students with the spirit of entrepreneurship. The MoU is also to foster the growth of healthtech startups in that region.  

This collaborative effort follows the call from Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to position India as a hub for medical devices, following its established role as a global pharmacy.

Officials familiar with the matter have outlined the initiative's dual-pronged approach to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among medical students. In pursuit of this objective, students will be furnished with financial incentives and comprehensive mentorship. 

The guidance will be geared towards nurturing startups aligned with the needs of society and the medical sphere. 

Moreover, the initiative is set to facilitate health tech entrepreneurs collaborating with medical colleges and hospitals, facilitating essential testing and certification procedures.

Dr. A N Kadri, who serves as the nodal officer of the State Health Resource Center (SHRC) under the state health department, has indicated that 13 medical institutions have already integrated into this initiative. 

Out of these, two institutions have secured grants for their proposed projects. Dr. Kadri emphasised the intent to expand coverage to encompass more institutions. He underscored the embryonic stage of the project while emphasising its core objective of fostering innovation and novel concepts within the healthcare domain.

Notably, the initiative extends its support to startups necessitating medical trials and real-time product feedback. Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO of the i-Hub incubator, highlighted the significance of the early-stage involvement of medical experts in projects. 

This strategic collaboration from the outset is anticipated to expedite the process of refining prototypes, reducing testing and trial timelines and expediting the transition to finalised products.

This initiative, aligned with the broader goal of positioning India as a medical device hub, carries the potential to stimulate innovation and streamline the development of healthcare solutions. 

As the project evolves, its impact on the healthcare sector remains an area of keen interest.