Research must benefit common man: KTR at Huwel lab launch

BRS working president KT Rama Rao said research must serve the common man, calling it futile otherwise. Inaugurating Huwel’s new chemistry lab at the Telangana Medical Devices Park, he lauded local innovations that reduce import dependence and make healthcare affordable.

Hyderabad: BRS working president and former Minister KT Rama Rao emphasised that research and innovation must directly benefit the common man, saying any research that fails to do so would be futile. He was speaking after inaugurating the new Huwel chemistry lab at the Telangana Medical Devices Park in Sultanpur.

Rama Rao recalled that the Medical Devices Park, established under the leadership of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, aimed to reduce dependence on imports and make medical products affordable for all. “In our country, 70 to 80 percent of all medical devices we use are imported. Why should these not be made in our own country?” he asked, pointing out that local production helps bring down prices and improves access.

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He lauded Huwel Life for innovations such as the portable real-time PCR kit and Lyo beads for TB RT-PCR. “Affordability and accessibility are the key factors in determining the success of any healthcare initiative. This will help screen TB in remote areas, as the kits can be transported and stored at room temperature and tested on battery-operated RT-PCR machines,” he added.

The former Minister also appreciated the company’s contribution during the Covid-19 crisis, recalling how its team reduced the cost of a test kit from Rs 6,000 to Rs 120. “Research that does not yield results for the common man is useless and therefore wasteful,” he reiterated, congratulating the Huwel team on its 10th anniversary.

He expressed confidence that the BRS would return to power within another two to three years and would make more efforts to develop the Medical Devices Park. “I wish that we together take Hyderabad, Telangana and India forward faster,” he declared.

Shanta Biotech managing director Varaprasad Reddy and Huwel authorities participated in the event.