Sahajanand completes 30,000 stent implants

EHM New Bureau - Mumbai

With over 30,000 successful stent implants, Sahajanand Medical Technologies (SMT) stands among the world’s top five stent manufacturers in the world.

India witnesses more than 40,000 coronary angioplasties in a year and stents are a major component of the cost. Stents are used in approximately 80 per cent of all coronary interventions. Till now, these had to be imported and there was no manufacturer of these in the country.

The scenario changed in 1999 when SMT became the first Indian company to have successfully manufactured these stents in the country.

The stents were gradually exported to more than 30 countries. Thus India made its entry as a Stent manufacturer on the world map.

A chance meeting with a poor patient who could not afford the high cost of coronary angioplasty led Dhirajlal Kotadia – founder and chairman of SMT to embark upon the journey of putting together a team of highly dedicated professionals to research and develop coronary stents indigenously.

Advanced laser-cutting technology, research, along with their hard work and dedication paid off with their first Stent being launched in 1999. In the last six years, SMT has developed five different types of stents and their work is increasingly being recognised by cardiologists the world over. SMT is an ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 13845:2003 certified company, employing over 130 people and supplying their stents to over 30 countries in the world.

Says Kotadia “We started with the single aim to make medical diagnostics and treatment more affordable to our people, and our success in being able to develop and market high quality world class stents, at affordable prices is the first step in this direction.”