For Russian manufacturers of medical equipment, the time has come to enter the broad market and increase sales, experts say. The current situation will help domestic companies to become independent. It is important not to waste time, invest in developments and use the opportunities that the state opens up. Now all organizations involved in the medical industry are summing up the results of the past, 2022, and the results cannot but rejoice.
“In the medical industry, production increased by 18% last year. 10 new production of biomaterials, endoprostheses, implants, ultrasound devices and a wide range of medical equipment“, – announced the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov at the end of January. In 2022, Russian companies registered more than 1,100 new medical devices, which were promptly extended to preferences in public procurement.
The Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin also repeatedly mentioned that the capital's production of medical devices is gaining momentum. Among the medical products that Moscow produces are: first aid kits, pulse oximeters, artificial lung ventilation (ALV) devices, hemostatic products, cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment, and specialized medical furniture. All this is produced by more than a hundred Moscow enterprises.
“Several years ago, we relied on supporting the industry, including manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment. The portfolio of systemic assistance measures includes more than 20 different instruments, from selecting a site for production location to targeted subsidies and preferential loans. And today this support brings real results”,– notes Sergey Sobyanin.
The load of all enterprises that produce medical equipment in Russia has increased significantly in 2022. 2023 will not be an exception. The Government of the Russian Federation has expanded the program of state guarantees of free medical care – the volume of financing of primary health care has increased by 14%, as well as by 35% – rehabilitation programs in hospitals, clinics and day hospitals. On January 23, 2023, a corresponding document was published on the official website of the federal Ministry of Health. And this means that in the coming year, all participants in the medical equipment market will again have to work in emergency mode.
«We are ready for this, – comments Oleg Grinkov, CEO of MedComplex A.V.K, a distributor of medical equipment. – Our company has been operating on the market for over 20 years. In 2023, we intend to expand the list of Russian suppliers we have always relied on. At the end of 2022, we can say that we survived, despite all the forecasts, there are no interruptions in the supply of equipment to medical institutions. There are certain features, for example, our warehouse stocks have become larger in volume, but the capabilities of the MedComplex A.V.K company allow this. I want to note that every year the quality of Russian products is growing. We recorded a significant decrease in the percentage of complaints (quality claims) in 2022. This is due both to our rather strict approach to the selection of suppliers, and to the development of technologies and the introduction of new control systems in production.
Thus, the pessimistic forecasts that sounded in the spring against the backdrop of currency fluctuations and increased sanctions did not come true in the end. The market is functioning well. However, it is necessary to continue the popularization of domestic products. For any production, planning is the basis, the expert is sure: “The sales market for medical equipment by the end of 2022 has changed quite a lot. Now more than ever, analytics and demand forecasting are coming to the fore. We are now seeing how Russian equipment is gradually replacing imported equipment. And our quality is not only not worse, but in many cases surpasses foreign analogues. For some market participants, this came as a surprise, due to the lack of information about enterprises and their products. It is important to work on the introduction to the market, which will provide guaranteed sales volumes for long-term production planning. Our company has always done this for its partners and continues to do so, realizing the importance of our mission. And we all have the same goal – affordable and high-quality medical services for every citizen of Russia.”