Philips Electronics unveils products for neonatal treatments

Bangalore, June 27: In order to provide better solutions to reduce infant mortality, Philips Electronics India on Thursday launched a suite of healthcare solutions products.

"India loses over three lakh babies every year. Many of these are premature and low birth weight infants who are exposed to hypothermia," Wido Manhardt of Philips Innovation Centre said here.

"The Philips Efficia range of infant warmers and incubators are intended to reduce infant mortality which is much needed in India," Menhardt said while launching the products.

Hypothermia is a condition where the infants' body temperature drops below the normal temperature required for metabolism and body function.

The Netherlands-based company plans to touch three billion lives globally from 1.7 billion now by 2025 through healthcare solutions, he said.

After the launch, Krishnakumar, president, Philips Healthcare India, said: "We have solutions for premium urban corporate hospitals as well as tier II and primary health centres."

Philips has three distinguished lines of business: lighting, healthcare solutions and consumer lifestyle.

Business lighting occupies half of it. The other two segments occupy 25 percent each of the total pie.

Apart from warmers and incubators, the company has also unveiled a non-invasive instrument for checking bilirubin in infants where there is no need to prick a syringe in the baby's skin.

Philips has five manufacturing units in India which develop products.

Healthcare products are manufactured in Pune, consumer lifestyle products are made in Chennai and Nalagarh (Himachal Pradesh) while the Baroda and Mohali units look after lighting products.

The company has 55 products categories in healthcare segment.

It has also expanded its critical care domain by extending by a solution that will enable a physician at central location to monitor patients in distant multiple intensive care units, Krishnakumar said.

"We have actually designed it keeping in mind the huge rural population in India," he said.

Philips is even planning to launch Philips Hue, the web-enabled LED home lighting system next year, said Rajeev Chopra, managing director, Philips India.

IANS