Fostering Healthier Scenarios; Strengthening Healthcare Provision

You can watch the video of this panel here.

During the first day of Mexico Health Summit 2021 on Wednesday, Jan. 27, Alejandro Paolini, Vice President of AMID shared his input on the critical role that medical devices play in Mexico. “The country plays an active role in the medical device sector. However, we have little consumption. Lack of financing is essential for patients’ access to these technologies,” said Paolini.

Lack of financing has been a long-time hurdle for the medical devices sector. However, the importance of equipment and medical technology has expanded as a result of COVID-19. Paolini explains that in February 2020, AMID began building a dialogue with authorities to fight the pandemic and it opened up the door to introduce the type of technology the country can have access to. “We are very interested in having a strong efficient regulatory sector. This step is key to combat lack of financing and promote innovation.”

To increase the role and the importance of the sector, Adriana De Villa, Commercial Director of Atramat, highlighted how Mexican high regulatory standards allow local manufacturers to export and have a relevant role at a global level. “We have been able to adapt to technological requirements from other countries and bring economic growth to the country.” De Villa broke down the contributions of the local medical devices to Mexico in three key points. In first place, there are financial benefits as transactions generate currency exchange and contribute to the national economy. Second, De Villa highlighted the industry’s tax contribution, which is highly valuable. Finally, she addressed employment benefits, as the medical devices industry offers specialized jobs directly and indirectly. “We employ 691 people directly. However, indirectly Atramat generates a large economic spillover through logistics, sterilization, etc. This virtuous investment flow is critical, not just for health provision but for micro and macro-economic operations.”

César Marrón, General Manager of Cardinal Health Mexico, introduced the concept of Salutogénesis and how it is fundamental to achieve the desired health outcomes that the whole industry works toward. “Salutogénesis is how the individual takes care of their own health and promotes a healthcare education in a holistic and integral way.” Marrón explained that the sector can take COVID-19 as a learning curve to approach healthcare with more integral solutions “that need to involve physical, mental and emotional health.”

To address the financial barrier that the medical sector faces, Marrón said that it is important to recognize that different cost-benefit integral models are slowly arising and those actions will foment new measures and policies. These, in the long term, can transform the sector profoundly.

The moderator of the panel, Montserrat Galindo, Market Access Manager of 3M Healthcare Division, introduced the topic of technology and how it has been essential to ensure health provision during these challenging times. “Technology adoption is also important for recovery and health provision in the future. It can boost our internal performance and provide more flexible solutions for our own collaborators,” said Galindo. “I need to highlight that with technology, we are not looking to replace the medical professional whatsoever. We are proposing improvement and support to their professional practice,” added De Villa.

To conclude the panel, Paolini mentioned that “if the pandemic left a lesson, it is the demonstration that this sector and all its players want to be better. We are looking to increase our opportunities as an industry and this can only happen by creating more efficient, accessible health solutions," he said.