Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone jewel in Andhra crown

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated India's first-ever medical devices and equipment manufacturing project ‘Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ)’ here on Thursday. Later, the chief minister dedicated the zone to the nation.

Speaking on the occasion, Chandrababu Naidu said that AMTZ is a jewel in AP's crown with 240 companies to take up manufacturing medical equipment and devices.

With the commencement of the production in the AMTZ, Andhra Pradesh state has created a history by standing alongside several advanced countries.

Though there are a quite a good number of medical equipment manufacturing units located in Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Karnataka, India is still importing over 65 per cent of electronic and diagnosis equipment from other countries which result in the escalation of the retail price, Naidu said.

However, the companies at AMTZ will make all kinds of medical devices and equipment at an economic price. Testing laboratory and other facilities also would be established in the zone, creating a direct employment potential for 2,500 youths in the zone, the chief minister said.

Later, the chief minister inaugurated a 3-day ‘Global forum on medical devices’ at the convention centre of the zone. Over 250 delegates from 40 nations are attending the conference. The chief minister hoped the experts would come out with useful suggestions after the three-day conference for making advanced medical equipment services at economic prices to the common man. 

“India is importing Rs 35,000 crore worth of advanced medical equipment and devices. With the launching of the MedTech zone, Andhra Pradesh would export highly-advanced medical equipment to the other nations,” Chandrababu Naidu said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare congratulated the state government and officials for completing stage-1 of the project in just 342 days. He said that the central government sanctioned two incubation centres for the zone.

He called upon the scientists and experts to work out and bring more advanced equipment to provide advanced medical services to the common people.

Chief Executive Officer of MedTech Zone Jitendar Sharma explained to the guests about the features of the zone. He informed that as many as 250 companies would start their operations in the zone and 18 world class testing and research laboratories also have been constructed in the zone.

Later, the chief minister, Union minister, ministers NMD Farooq, Ch Ayyannapatrudu, Ganta Srinivsa Rao and Principal Secretary to the Health Poonam Malakondaiah visited all the blocks in the zone.