Ge Ultrasound Case Study

Promoting Ethical Ultrasound Use in India A BLIHR Emerging Economy Case Study from GE – January 2009 Introduction: The Benefits and Burdens of Ultrasound Technology The distribution of compact, portable ultrasound technology in India offers significant potential health benefits to millions who suffer from painful or potentially lifethreatening diseases, such as breast cancer, uterine fibroids, cardiac disease and gynecological disorders. Ultrasound technology also has the potential to increase efficacy and early detection in diverse medical fields such as anesthesia delivery, cardiac surgery, sports medicine, and emergency medicine. Ultrasound is also uniquely powerful in that it is the only imaging technology that can be transported to a patient or used where a patient might most urgently need it – whether on the side of a road after a serious motor accident or in remote communities where a patient may have to travel for several hours just to reach a basic primary health center. When one considers this vast scope of medical applications, along with the great need for imaging technologies among rural and urban populations in India, it is clear why India’s ultrasound market poses both a significant business and public health opportunity. Over the last decade, however, some civil society groups have focused on ultrasound technology as a cause of increased rates of female feticide in India. In India, as in certain other countries and cultures, there exist deeply rooted historical preferences for male children. Observers have noted that these preferences are driven by a combination of cultural and economic factors. Traditionally, Indian parents are expected to pay expensive dowries to their daughter’s future husband’s family to which the parents then “lose” her. In a country without a social security system, male children are often viewed as their parents’ long-term security when girls are expected to marry and eventually leave home. Yet, the economic concerns are only