About DeW 8.0

This year the Design Workshop 8.0 (DeW8.0) has been endorsed by the Embassy of Japan in India for the "70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between Japan and India".

The Healthcare system in India is varied, challenging and has a sharp urban and rural divide. The system in urban areas have better access to the latest technologies in the field along with trained manpower. The same in rural areas and especially remote rural areas do not have access to modern technology and manpower. In India, 70% of the population reside in rural India. Thus, the problem is that those who need it most do not have access to it. Moreover, in India healthcare is expensive. Though government-backed healthcare systems are in place but considering the large population these systems are always overburdened and the people are forced to go to private establishments for treatment. Most of the private establishments are concentrated in urban areas and there are very few in rural areas. Even the few establishments which are in rural India are expensive and not affordable by the common people.

The Healthcare system in India comprises many different subsystems which are intricately associated with one another. In India, the healthcare systems future is mainly dependent on three major focus areas. First is the diagnosis of different diseases, which involves prudent usage of the latest technology which should be accessible and affordable to all. The second involves the prognosis of different diseases where along with technology trained manpower to play a very important role. The third is the treatment phase wherein both technology and trained manpower plays a very important role. The health care system in India comprises infrastructure or space, elements in space, medical equipment, communication with medical devices, staff (medical and paramedical). These are all tangible. However, the quality of the output depends on the intangible elements in the system, like organizational structure, hierarchy, services rendered to the patient and their family.

The biggest challenge in India is trained manpower along with affordable technology that would augment the entire health care system. This could only be achieved by a holistic way of dealing with the situation keeping the target users, stakeholders, and other beneficiaries at the back of the mind. This demands seamless integration of all the facets of the healthcare system mentioned in the previous paragraph keeping the cost factor in mind.

The above demands a systemic approach through the prudent usage of the principles of design thinking aided by 3D printing. Design thinking as an approach helps in visualizing, analyzing problems at a holistic level and suggesting feasible solutions for the context. Design thinking involves some defined steps like empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test. Using 3D printing is a novel way of engaging the participants of the workshop, as they can see their ideas coming to life as prototypes. Plus, this could be taken forward to solve real problems and create viable solutions.

The design intervention could be in the design of medical equipment, space, elements in space or communication. It could also touch upon the “service design issues” in this sector. This integrated approach is the key to success in a very different healthcare system in India with a huge shortage of medical and paramedical staff in western medicine and dependence on Ayurveda and other traditional medicine. This is where the prudent approach of integrating design thinking in healthcare system design could play a very important role, ensuring that any technology used in this sector is “humanized in the local context “before its implemented or passed on to the target users.

About PDPDM IIITDM Jabalpur

PDPM IIITDM Jabalpur is a unique Institute established by MHRD Govt. of India in collaboration with Govt. of Japan, to promote interdisciplinary research in the area of design and manufacturing. The Institute follows unique curriculum which provides students with an opportunity to gain interdisciplinary skills. The Institute offers Bachelors programme in Design (BDes) and different branches of Engineering (BTech) like Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Smart Manufacturing. The institute also offers Masters Programme in Design and different areas of Engineering. To know more about the Institute please visit www.iiitdmj.ac.in.