New Delhi: There is an urgent need to regulate digital devices and wearable such as ‘smart watches’ to protect health data of people, stated Parliamentary standing committee report on health tabled in the monsoon session which discusses medical devices, regulations and control.
New Delhi: There is an urgent need to regulate digital devices and wearable such as ‘smart watches’ to protect health data of people, stated Parliamentary standing committee report on health tabled in the monsoon session which discusses medical devices, regulations and control.
The report said that there is huge volume of data generation through such devices and pointed out its concern over lack of provision of data security of patients in the Medical Device Policy.
The report said that there is huge volume of data generation through such devices and pointed out its concern over lack of provision of data security of patients in the Medical Device Policy.
These days different kinds of smart watches are available in the market at a very cheap price but offer multiple functions like tracking health records such as number of steps taken, showing heart rate, body weight etc. Due to lack of data security policy for these wearables, these digital devices tend to pose a great threat to individual’s personal health data.
These days different kinds of smart watches are available in the market at a very cheap price but offer multiple functions like tracking health records such as number of steps taken, showing heart rate, body weight etc. Due to lack of data security policy for these wearables, these digital devices tend to pose a great threat to individual’s personal health data.
Earlier in May, the government launched medical device policy which aims to regulate the medical device sector, create ecosystem for research & development, skilling the regulatory workforce, streamline regulatory clearances, and establish centres of excellence.
Earlier in May, the government launched medical device policy which aims to regulate the medical device sector, create ecosystem for research & development, skilling the regulatory workforce, streamline regulatory clearances, and establish centres of excellence.
“The committee, however, expresses its concern over absence of provisions regarding data security of patients in the proposed policy. With the government’s push for health records digitization under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), there is an urgent need to regulate digital devices like “wearables (smart watches)” to protect health data of people,” said the parliamentary panel in its report.
“The committee, however, expresses its concern over absence of provisions regarding data security of patients in the proposed policy. With the government’s push for health records digitization under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), there is an urgent need to regulate digital devices like “wearables (smart watches)” to protect health data of people,” said the parliamentary panel in its report.
Therefore, considering huge data generation, the committee recommends the department to include stringent data protection norms in the medical device policy, it said.
Therefore, considering huge data generation, the committee recommends the department to include stringent data protection norms in the medical device policy, it said.
It may be noted that medical devices sector in India is a sunrise sector which is growing at a fast pace. The market size of the medical devices sector in India is estimated to be $11 billion (approximately, ₹90,000 cr) in 2020 which is expected to reach at $ 50 billion by 2050. Right now, its share in the global medical device market is estimated to be 1.5%.
It may be noted that medical devices sector in India is a sunrise sector which is growing at a fast pace. The market size of the medical devices sector in India is estimated to be $11 billion (approximately, ₹90,000 cr) in 2020 which is expected to reach at $ 50 billion by 2050. Right now, its share in the global medical device market is estimated to be 1.5%.
Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time.
Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time.
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