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IMA-Safexpress conference on healthcare logistics

In order to promote the process of having a proper logistics channel to the healthcare industry, Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Safexpress in the country came together for the first time at IMA’s annual conference held recently in April, at Toshali Sand Resorts in Puri, Orissa. "The logistics industry can provide super-specialised handling of the healthcare product through a strong cold chain in addition to faster transit time and TAT. Therefore, the purpose of being a part of this conference was to disseminate information on how logistics can play a crucial role in the healthcare industry," Pawan Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Safexpress, stated. Safexpress made a presentation to the Indian medical fraternity on 'The importance of supply chain and logistics in healthcare industry' during the IMA annual conference.

IMA—the apex body of the entire medical fraternity—is an association of doctors which came into existence in 1928. Its primary objective is to safeguard the interests of medical professionals and the medical fraternity at large. It is the largest and the only medical association, which has its elected representatives from all over the country. There are more than 200 number of representatives (doctors) elected by IMA. These doctors are elected from every Indian state and come together every year. The IMA annual conference 2008 provided these doctors a common platform to discuss issues affecting the Indian health care industry.

The biggest issue at the IMA annual meet was identified as the role of logistics in the healthcare industry. Jain on the sidelines of the annual meet stated, "Health care industry is a $40 billion industry in India and is expected to grow to nearly $80 billion by 2012. Safexpress and IMA have been working together to mobilise the very perspective that organised logistics is imperative for the success of effective health care distribution. The purpose of being a part of this conference was the same."