GE Healthcare announces its commitment to increased access and innovation in support of safer surgery in Thailand with the launch of a new rural anaesthesia solution

Bangkok, Thailand: GE today announced the introduction of a new anaesthesia delivery system created especially for rural healthcare settings. This new system integrates SpO2 (the level of oxygen in the blood) and other key measurements into its anaesthesia delivery system, improving the quality and reliability of anaesthesia solutions for the rural healthcare market.

In Thailand, nearly 66% of the population lives in a rural area1.There are tremendous challenges when it comes to routine and emergency surgery in these rural, low resource settings. Many rural communities lack the level of clinical care necessary to ensure positive outcomes when it comes to surgery. Having the right tools and equipment are vital to helping doctors deliver the safest surgery possible. This product was developed to help fill this gap, and increase the access of much needed surgical equipment for these rural healthcare settings.

Global guidelines for surgery include a range of criteria for anaesthesia equipment, including the ability to appropriately monitor physiological measurements and other variables. Traditionally, clinicians have been limited in their ability to monitor vital signs such as oxygen levels in the blood, or Sp02, during surgeries, even though the World Health Organization’s Surgical Safety Checklist2 lists integrated Sp02 monitoring as one of the most crucial measurements. GE’s new rural anesthesia delivery system can be a solution.

“In Thailand, GE is working hard to help bring better health to more people by leveraging the best of our resources, expertise, products and solutions to address the needs of citizens across the country. Given the access issues facing the region, advancing surgery in the rural primary care setting, particularly in rural Thailand, is a key area of focus”, said David Utama, President & CEO of GE Healthcare ASEAN.

“Today, GE Healthcare is pleased to introduce our latest anaesthesia delivery system increasing the standards of quality, reliability and affordability. We are hopeful that this new technology will help further meet the needs of clinicians in low resource settings at a more affordable cost, thereby aligning surgery practices in Thailand with global guidelines and helping advance safer surgery practices in Thailand.”

Notes to Editor
*Not commercially available in all markets. Not available for sale in the United States.
1The World Bank, World Data Bank, 2012 World Development Indicators http://databank.worldbank.org/data/views/reports/tableview.aspx
2World Health Organization Safe Surgery Checklist: http://www.who.int/patientsafety/safesurgery/en/index.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE:
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients.

For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.