Technology is necessary in health care at all levels, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Health related technology has developed at a rapid pace in the last few years and has influenced health significantly in urban India. However, the impact of such technology on the indices of public health has been minimal, as many of the major health problems are found in rural areas, where access to technology remains largely inaccessible. We therefore find ourselves in a situation where we have technology that is very advanced but that cannot be used by the majority of population due to its expense, inaccessibility, and inappropriateness to the realities the rural poor face.
At Jan Swasthya Sahyog, we have been working for years on developing technologies for the health needs of people living in remote areas with limited resources. We strive to ensure that these technologies are as accurate, if not more, as the prevailing ones at the same time that we keep them simple, cheap, and highly functional in low-resource rural communities. We hope that these technologies can be used by the all levels of health workers, especially the most peripheral health workers, and that they make diagnosis more rational and decrease misuse of drugs.
Development of Technology
The development of our appropriate technology begins with identifying the specific problem or need. Whether in the hospital or in the community, we identify public health problems for which the existing technology is either too expensive, inaccessible, or unfeasible. JSS then develops the technology in a lab setting under controlled conditions, always with comparison to the gold standard. Once tested, these kits are made available to limited organizations for field validation. If approved in the field, the equipment is made available for general use.
Our appropriate technology catalog contains the details of some of the instruments, tools and diagnostics kits developed by JSS. In this list, some of the items have successfully completed field trials, while some remain at the field evaluation stage. In case you have a need for any of the listed technologies or kits, you can place your orders with us. The costs indicated in the brochure are an estimate, as the exact cost and the delivery time will be communicated after we receive your order. However, we can assure you that JSS works with a non-profit ethos, and the rates reflect the primary production costs. We also conduct training programmes for interested individuals or groups on how to use the equipment and tests.
Click here to see an updated list of appropriate technology items.
Please contact us for more details.