20-Feb-15 Columbia has announced new price regulations for medical devices from Mar-15. Medicated coronary stents will be the first device to be affected, followed by cochlear implants, hearing aids and orthopedic devices. The move is expected to result in 36% reduction in prices and USD14 billion in annual savings for the national health system. [image: mashmedical]

12-Feb-15 Telco giant Telstra's investments through its healthcare division have gone well beyond the $100 million mark. This includes acquisitions and joint ventures to provide technology solutions in telemedicine, aged and residential care, hospital, radiology and pathology and will help Telstra deliver a more integrated health system. Telstra Health has plans to buy more assets in the coming year. [image: B Busco_Getty Images]

12-Feb-15 Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has established an agreement with the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) in Hat Yai on improving medical education to help solve shortages of healthcare professionals in rural areas. For example, Year 4-6 medical students will gain experience in community hospitals. The program will be extended to other hospitals of >90 beds. [image: NNT)

12-Feb-15 Over 100 students and faculty members from engineering, design and healthcare disciplines gathered at a business school in Mumbai on 31-Jan to create functional prototypes of innovative, low-cost diagnostic devices, including an X-ray machine, a retinal labelling app, a wound analysis device, and a digital stethoscope. [image: Hindustan Times]

12-Feb-15 Through Alibaba Health's new mobile app, Alijk, patients can now upload and send a prescription to a nearby pharmacy to check the availability of medicines, compare prices and eventually make a payment. Pharmacies partnering with Alibaba Health, such as China Jo-Jo which has recently joined the platform, can then fulfil orders in-store or by home delivery. [image: Healthcare Innovation]