XXV International Exhibition "Health Care of Belarus-2018" – the latest great achievements in medical science and practical healthcare was held on March 27-30, 2018 in Minsk – the capital of the Republic of Belarus.
An annual BelarusMedica International Specialized Exhibition is the country's main exhibition in the field of medicine and healthcare, which has attracted a huge number of participants from Belarus and abroad for last 25 years, considering this event as a great possibility to show new achievements and developments, the chance to meet with partners and potential clients and communicate with doctors and medical institutions authority.
At the Forum opening, Minister of Health Valery Malashko declared: the nearest future of the country's healthcare system is its digital transformation. Services on remote interaction with a doctor, gadgets on remote monitoring of patients vital signs, digital medical records and sick leaves – all of these is about to come into our live. Next year we should analyze how e-health works in practice. What else is waiting for us in in the future – we look at the stands.
Over 240 exhibitors from 17 countries demonstrated their products and technologies, including the Foreign Production and Trade Unitary Enterprise “Reb-Pharma”. The exhibition participants were the world leaders in medical and pharmaceutical industries, developers of new technologies for diagnosis and treatment.
The Program of the Exhibition covered almost all the main aspects of modern healthcare system:
-the first domestic CT scanner, capable of at least as good a performance as its world's leading analogues, was presented
- the opportunity to purchase locally made medicines at wholesale prices as well as master classes on working with electronic prescriptions were held at the stand of RUE “Belpharmatsiya”. Everyone could get acquainted with various electronic services in pharmacies;
- Republican scientific and practical seminars on drugs circulation;
- Familiarization with relevant documentation on prospects and directions of enterprises development, Pharmacovigilance system in the Republic of Belarus;
- Reports on new drug developments and evidence-based medicine.
Special interest was related to domestic development of medical devices providing medical care to patients at all stages: operation lamps, tables, consoles, monitors, anesthesia and breathing apparatus, mechanical ventilation apparatuses, anesthesia apparatus, obstetric table, personal computer with e-health program. An International Scientific-Practical Conference "e-Health - the digital transformation of healthcare system in the Republic of Belarus was the central event."
The current exhibition highlight was rightfully directed to the first Belarusian CT scanner “Ventum” developed by the Belarusian Company “Adani”. The 64-slices system provides to perform the high-quality angiography –blood vessels investigation and study the patient’s heart functionality. Based on fast and accurate scanners work, doctors can examine even the smallest vessels and check artery walls for plaques. This state-of-the art equipment can demonstrate blood flow in brain and lungs tissues... The tomography software presents to in 2D images and is able to make 3D multiplanar image reconstruction creating images in three planes at once. This year the company has promised to supply with this CT scanner health care facilities. According to Valery Malashko, the price of such equipment is 30 – 40% lower than that of imported analogues.
Currently the CT scanner is undergoing registration process in Belarus, after that “Adani” would be able to present the product officially in the domestic market. To increase the availability of high-tech medical care in regions, at first it is planned to equip regional hospitals with these CT scanners.
The stand of the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences aroused no less interest. Scientists are working in the field of cellular technology development. At the exhibition stand the cellular product was presented in a form of suspension in a bottle. In the treatment of certain diseases, cells could be inserted into certain human tissues. "At the moment the particular interest is directed into the problem of giving the skin cells the certain structure that would be able to close the existing defect," said the Deputy Director of the Institute. Scientists will successfully solve this problem – they have already developed a new biomedical cellular product based on human skin fibroblasts, in other words, artificial skin. “This is the skin bioequivalent. Once these cells are fixed on a compact carrier, on some kind of substrate, we can place them where it is needed to close the affected area,” he said. Artificial skin assimilates with the surrounding tissues, penetrates and thereby saves the person who, for example, was badly injured with burns. For wide-scale practical use this technique must undergo a number of procedures: preclinical studies, clinical trials. Only after that, in case of success at all stages, artificial skin can be used in any hospital where there are conditions for such a procedure. In general, this direction –biomedical cellular products development (derived from own cells for the treatment of a number conditions) is currently booming all around the world. First of all, scientists pay attention to some methods able to treat diseases that are difficult to treat with traditional methods. Such conditions include multiple sclerosis, drug-resistant tuberculosis, trophic ulcers, chronic wounds, ischemic diseases, etc.
The line of simulation equipment of Belarusian-Russian production, for example, a mannequin, designed to teach surgical and gynecological specialties students with the simplest laparoscopic manipulations and basic surgical interventions in abdominal, pelvic and chest cavity, is widely represented at the exhibition. Training on such simulators helps to get used to laparoscopic equipment, develops necessary skills and improves surgical techniques.
In addition, for the first time at the exhibition, two variants of general practitioner handbags were presented – for work in a city clinic and in a rural area. Retraining of doctors-therapists to general practice doctors is a new trend in Belarusian medical service. As it was explained by the assistant of BSMU outpatient department, general practice doctors have more power and capabilities in treatment. They can check the patient’s visual acuity and intraocular pressure and perform an otoscopy, the pulmonary function test. Accordingly, their equipment should be different. Today, health care facilities form the doctor’s handbag in accordance with the approved list of necessary equipment and medications. In the future it will be possible to sell special ready-made suitcases.
At the exhibition The Institute of Physics and Technology of the National Academy of Sciences presented implants with biocompatible protective and decorative coatings. They are more wear-resistant compared to conventional ones and are better implanted in bone tissue. The implants were treated with electrolyte solutions and presented in different colors. So that during operation the surgeon does not spend time on selecting an implantable “part” under each vertebra.
Color coding helps speed up the process”, - explains the Head of Marketing and International Relations at the Institute. Plus, thanks to a special coating, the implants quickly grow into tissues – so the patient has fast postoperative recovery period.
There are modern domestic medical devices presented in exhibition pavilions necessary for medical care provision to patients at all therapy stages: operating lamps, tables, consoles, monitors, anesthesia-breathing apparatus, artificial lung ventilation apparatus, obstetric table, personal computer with e-health program, etc.
An International Medical Forum “Health Care in Belarus” has become a traditional place for experience exchange between scientists and specialists, students of medical universities and medical institutions authorities.
That is why the Forum is an important part of health care system improvement which helps to familiarize healthcare professionals with the achievements in domestic and foreign medical industry, new methods for diagnosis and treatment.
“Reb-Pharma” Employees organized work at the company's stand, where they had the opportunity to communicate directly and get the feedback from doctors and pharmacists from all over the Republic. “Reb-Pharma” medicinal products induced highly expressed professional interest, based on “Reb-Pharma” focus on production drugs for socially significant diseases therapy in order to meet the needs of all population groups in drugs at affordable prices, which corresponds to the policy of The Republic of Belarus on import substitution.
On a personal exhibition stand the company “Reb-Pharma” presented the assortment portfolio included more than 300 medicinal products from 14 main therapeutic groups. Currently the Company has already offered 27 trade names of medicinal products for the treatment of socially significant diseases in various medical fields, which makes it possible to replace many imported analogues.
Therefore the Foreign Production and Trade Unitary Enterprise "Reb-Pharma" was the first company brought to the market direct-acting antiviral drugs for the treatment of viral hepatitis – HEPASOFT and DACLASOFT.
One of "Reb-Pharma" priorities is the medicinal product for glaucoma therapy; patients have already started to use LATADOR, R-DORZA, R-DORZAKT and FAVULENZ which, along with the pronounced effect in intraocular pressure reduction by intraocular fluid outflow improvement possess maximum antioxidant (neuroprotective) activity and also sufficiently improve intraocular blood flow.
The eye drops ERKETON is the only one non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in the country with the active substance ketorolac.
Neurological product line is represented by an effective and safe drug product KRANIO (citicoline) which has been highly recommended for neuroprotection and neuroreparation in patients with vascular diseases of the brain and traumatic brain injury.
GALARINS (pregabalin) is the modern standard for the therapy of neuropathic pain of various origins.
Particular attention was paid to the only one medicinal product in the Republic of Belarus from the group of muscle tone-reducing drugs with the active substance thiocolchicoside – REBLAX. The drug contains as an active substance thiocolchicoside – semisynthetic muscle relaxant obtained from natural colchicoside glycoside; used in clinical practice for more than 40 years as a muscle relaxant with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Among the drugs with a similar mechanism of action REBLAX possesses several advantages: it is an analogue of natural substance with effectiveness of “three in one” muscle relaxant with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect; does not have a sedative effect; several drug forms ensures the continuity of the painful muscle cramps treatment; convenient dosage regimen (intramuscular administration followed by oral capsules intake); reduces muscle tone while maintaining muscle strength.
Following the policy of concentration on modern drugs with unique characteristics manufacturing required in the most important, socially significant areas of medicine, by investing in a quality management system and improving production technologies, “Reb-Pharma” is eager to achieve the top priority goal – to provide consumers with a high-quality and effectiveness medicinal products at affordable price.
Reb Pharma – right direction for everyone’s health!