SOFMEDICA Group jointly with the Embassy of Israel in Romania brought together through a videoconference companies producing globally life-saving medical technologies, in order to explore the certification conditions and their placing on the Romanian market.
Along with the United States, Israel is the largest and most important incubator of cutting edge medical technologies in the world.
Among the innovations that the Israeli companies could also bring to the Romanian market are: the world’s first Oximeter Monitor with wrist sensor (measures pulse and oxygen saturation in the blood); the first capsule-based system for colorectal cancer, which provides a 3D image of the colon, non-invasive and without the need for laxative or sedative solutions; remote monitoring and detection of life-threatening conditions through a chest-monitor, which can be used both in the hospital and at home; computational medicine solutions for cancer diagnosis; telemedicine platform for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases; smart bracelet with monitoring sensors for 16 vital functions; non-invasive medical devices for ambulatory monitoring and diabetes management; thermal management solutions: warmers for blood, plasma and other fluids needed in emergency care and immediate transfusion; platform for start-ups in the field of biomedicine, which operates in and with top medical centers.
“The access to innovative, state-of-the-art medical technologies is no longer an option, but should be a necessity for any medical system. As a promoter of such technologies, in the 25 years since we have been present on the Romanian market, part of our mission is to bring them closer to as many patients as possible. The first daVinci robotic surgical system, the most advanced equipment in the world in minimally invasive surgery, which is now available in seven hospitals in four cities in the country, the first artificial heart implanted in a patient in Romania, or health training centers for doctors, confirms SOFMEDICA ’s commitment to invest in the Romanian medical system. Thus, we continue to investigate new opportunities to connect with developers and producers interested in Romania,” says Harris Palaondas, Managing Director SOFMEDICA.
“The Israel digital health industry has more than 30 years of experience in developing innovative healthcare solutions implementing the globally re-known Israeli IT expertise. As of today, the industry has grown to more than 1,500 active Israeli life science companies. This, of course, could not have happened without a massive governmental investment, one example is the Israeli government resolution for digital health, where the Israeli government dedicated around 900 million Israeli shekels (more than 235 million euro), in order to insure that the Israeli digital health industry will remain as a national growth engine and a leading global innovation hub. Our work in Romania is spreading this innovation and entrepreneurship spirit,” says Ms. Bareket Knafo, Head of Economic & Trade Mission to Romania.
A case study that already has results on the Romanian market is from MEDASENSE, a medical company with operations in Israel and the USA, which has already brought to our country a technology that uses Artificial Intelligence and measures the pain level of a patient undergoing surgery, during the period in which the patient is anesthetized or artificially ventilated.
Ensuring a coherent legislative package, with accessible enforcement tools, governed by the principles of transparency and equal treatment for stakeholders, encouraging the business field by promoting the procurement of products and innovative services based on quality criteria and cost-benefit are characteristics that can develop an efficient and modern medical system. The Health Operational Program, proposed for public consultation by the Ministry of European Funds, can lead to an increase in the effectiveness of the medical sector through investments in infrastructure and services, but also to new approaches in medical research, such as investigation methods, intervention, treatment, training and specialization measures, the use of medical equipment.
During the COVID-19 crisis, the access to innovative technologies was even more important, and SofMedica distributed to Romanian hospitals products and technologies for treating patients affected by the virus and for supporting first-line doctors: technologies that provide data on hemodynamic monitoring and calculate key parameters of cardiac output, a system for the removal of dissolved substances and / or fluids in patients with acute renal failure or fluid overflow, devices for filtering air in operating rooms, which retain particles up to 0.1 microns and protects against bacteria and viruses, the world’s first “3 in 1” insufflation management system, which has unmatched capabilities in providing a stable pneumoperitoneum and constant smoke evacuation.
In addition, through the two ISLE Academy centers in Europe for the training and specialization of medical professionals, which SofMedica owns in Bucharest (opened last year) and Athens (opened in 2018), the company has provided specialized education programs for 20,000 medical professionals in Central and Eastern Europe.
About SofMedica
SofMedica Group of healthcare companies is present in Europe since 1994. With offices & direct operations in four EU countries (Romania, Greece, Bulgaria & Cyprus and soon in Hungary) the group focuses in five major business lines.
Promoting the most innovative medical technologies, such as minimally-invasive surgery & vital organ replacement: SOFMEDICA – Life-saving Innovation; Providing hard and soft-skills training for healthcare professionals and assuring a meeting point of the most innovative Life-Saving technologies and the optimal environment for simulation, on-line training and e-learning: ISLE ACADEMY – Lifechanging Learning; Providing patients suffering from chronic conditions with specialized medical services: EMERALD – Precious Healthcare; developing high-end infrastructure designed to host healthcare providers according to the latest building standards and operating regulations: MEDCITY –The Medical Mall; and offering solutions for operational leasing for innovative Medical Programs – MEDI LEASING – Innovation at Your Fingertips.
The group’s education-driven approach aims to create sustainable change for as many patients in Europe and establish a new paradigm in corporate social responsibility by bridging the distance between the latest breakthroughs of the healthcare industry on the one end and the patients & healthcare professionals in the region on the other.