"The introduction of the 'old for new' policy is good news for the entire medical market, especially for companies like us that have been rooted in China for many years." Pu Zhengrong, vice president of Siemens Healthineers Greater China and head of clinical treatment systems, expressed the above views in an interview with China News Service recently.

At the 89th China International Medical Equipment (Spring) Fair (CMEF) which just ended in Shanghai, the "old for new" policy for medical equipment was undoubtedly a hot topic. Faced with the trillion-level market released by this policy, a number of multinational companies showed great interest.

Chen Jinlei, vice president of GE Healthcare China and general manager of medical imaging business, said that after the "old for new" policy was released, the medical industry, from users to manufacturers, paid close attention to it. "We have developed eight targeted plans for 'old for new'."

On March 13 this year, the State Council of China issued the "Action Plan to Promote Large-Scale Equipment Updates and Consumer Goods Trade-in", requiring that by 2027, the scale of equipment investment in industries such as industry, agriculture, construction, transportation, education, culture, tourism, and medical care will increase by more than 25% compared with 2023.

It can be seen that medical devices are an important part of the above-mentioned "old for new" program. Zheng Zhajie, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, also said earlier that with the in-depth promotion of high-quality development, the demand for equipment updates will continue to expand. It is preliminarily estimated that this is a trillion-level market, and domestic and foreign medical device manufacturers have already taken action.

According to Chen Jinlei, GE Healthcare is currently making preparations from two aspects. First, it is making clear statistics and assessments on the number of installed equipment and the time of use in China. "For example, some GE Medical equipment has a relatively long design life, but the country has now proposed a ten-year service life for imaging equipment. We will follow up on how to deal with this batch of equipment." Secondly, new plans are also being designed for equipment that meets the update requirements.

Chen Jinlei said that "trading old for new" is not simply replacing a new device, but considering how to better meet the current clinical needs. In the "trading old for new" program provided to customers, the first important thing is to insist on domestically produced equipment. The second is high-end, intelligent, and green. "We will focus on recommending these aspects."

How to understand high-end, intelligent, and green? He pointed out that high-end does not mean high prices, but more about having the latest technology, so as to solve clinical problems that the original equipment cannot solve. In terms of intelligence, it means launching more equipment that can bring good clinical results and is easier to use; green refers to how to make full use of green energy and reduce waste in the production process.

Siemens Healthineers also holds the same view. Pu Zhengrong admitted that the company has a large number of equipment installed in China that is more than 10 years old. "The actual service life of Chinese users' equipment is usually longer than that of foreign users. Many domestic equipment that is more than 10 years old is still in very good condition and has always played a leading role in hospitals . However, many equipment has been in use for a very long time and cannot be upgraded. Therefore, the introduction of the 'old for new' policy will be conducive to the high-quality development of hospitals in the future."

He believes that the recently proposed "new quality productivity" is related to innovative technology and is inseparable from the advanced nature of equipment. For the industry, it is a good opportunity to provide customers with high-quality solutions based on national requirements, and achieve higher quality, higher efficiency, and green environmental protection. In addition, Siemens Healthineers will also provide more efficient equipment replacement solutions, save equipment update time, reduce downtime to ensure hospital operation efficiency, and promote better development of hospitals while achieving equipment upgrades and renewals.

"Intelligence is one of the development directions of medical devices in the future." Wang Lei, vice president of GE Healthcare China and general manager of ultrasound business, also said that digital technology represented by AI will not only make great achievements in precise diagnosis and treatment, but also in diagnosis and treatment. It will also bring significant help in terms of efficiency, especially when primary health institutions have insufficient physician resources and need to improve their experience. AI can not only assist primary doctors to standardize their diagnosis and treatment behavior, but also help primary doctors diagnose diseases more accurately. , formulate treatment plans to improve the imbalance of high-quality medical resources.

At the 89th China International Medical Equipment (Spring) Fair (CMEF), reporters also saw many medical devices and products equipped with leading technology platforms, innovative digitalization and AI applications. For example, the LOGIQ E10s, which is based on an innovative imaging platform and integrates a series of intelligent and automated advanced applications to create a new era of intelligent whole-body ultrasound, has outstanding performance in precise imaging of the heart, abdomen, thyroid, breast and other superficial organs; another example is the Vscan Air handheld wireless ultrasound, which weighs only 205 grams. With its precise and efficient image performance and lightweight and portable design, it allows doctors to break through the boundaries of hospital walls and conduct whole-body ultrasound examinations on patients anytime and anywhere in various medical scenarios inside and outside the hospital.

At this year's exhibition , multinational companies have set up a special exhibition area called "Improving Quality and Efficiency to Lead the Equipment Replacement Trend", providing on-site visitors with a complete "renewal" solution covering five major areas: digitalization and artificial intelligence, scientific research co-creation, green environmental protection, medical accessibility value enhancement, and disease diagnosis and treatment. Specific content includes providing medical institutions at all levels with a diversified combination of solutions covering imaging diagnosis, clinical treatment, ultrasound diagnosis, digitalization, and corporate services. At the same time, the special fund empowerment renewal plan will also provide customized financial support and consulting services for medical institutions.

Judging from the exhibition alone, the "trade-in" policy is like a new wind, which makes the entire industry full of vitality and vigor. Perhaps it is just as Roland Rott, President and CEO of GE Healthcare's Global Ultrasound Business, said, "Now is the best time to trade in old equipment for new ones."

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