GE Healthcare’s job ‘is to lower medical device costs’

GE Healthcare's healthcare systems division president and chief executive officer Tom Gentile has said that lowering the cost of medical devices and technology is the company's main concern.

Speaking to the Business Line about the future of the medical devices in emerging countries, he said: "When we talk to hospitals, there is a demand to reduce costs but maintain the quality. We came up with some alternative ways of reducing costs without compromises on quality."

He mentioned that some nations have a problem with power in rural areas and that GE Healthcare has designed portable, battery-operated ECG systems and baby warmers, which consume half the amount of energy as existing models did.

Mr Gentile said that lowering the cost of medical devices will allow countries to address some of their biggest health concerns, describing GE Healthcare's job as to bring down the expense associated with the life-saving technology.