Siemens plans 5 new units

KOLKATA: Germany'S Siemens, one of the world's leading players in the medical devices and diagnostics space, plans to take big strides in manufacturing nuclear medicines in India.

It plans to manufacture positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers, which are used along with PET CT scanners, to diagnose and treat cancer, heart problems and neurology disorders. Siemens plans to set up five such cyclotron facilities across India over the next five year.

Each facility will entail an investment of about $3-5 million. On Wednesday, the company inked an agreement with Kolkata-based EKO Diagnostics to set up the first facility in the latter's upcoming hospital in Rajarhat in the city's eastern fringes.

“The Kolkata facility will act as the hub for the East, North-East and even neighbouring countries like Bangladesh. We have plans to set up such facilities across the country. They will produce and supply such bio-markers for PET CT scan machines manufactured not just by Siemens but even other vendors," Siemens Healthcare CEO (South Asia cluster) D Ragavan said.