Medical device provider starts production in Chengdu

Government officials in Chengdu, Sichuan, and representatives from Medtronic pour glasses of drinking water into a hemodialysis system to mark the establishment of Medtronic's first global production line for its hemodialysis system in the Sichuan provincial capital on Monday. [Huang Zhiling/China Daily]

Multinational medical device provider Medtronic Inc set up its first hemodialysis system production line in Chengdu on Monday.

The development and manufacturing facility, which is to supply most key parts and final assembly for Medtronic hemodialysis system around the world, is located in the capital city of Sichuan province's high-tech zone.

The US-based company has completed prototype of the system, while delivery of the first product is expected to be in 2016, according to Omar Ishrak, Medtronic chairman and chief executive officer.

Medtronic will also set up a fully owned entity in Chengdu responsible for the products' distribution, supply chain management and market development on a global scale.

As a central city in West China, Chengdu radiates its influence on a population of more than 300 million. The city and its neighboring areas have a huge demand for advanced medical products. The cooperation between Chengdu and Medtronic is of great value in easing the pain of more sufferers, said Chengdu Vice-mayor Ge Zhengli.

The establishment of the development and global manufacturing base of Medtronic's new hemodialysis system and supporting company's localization strategy has marked another key milestone since the inauguration of the Medtronic Shanghai Innovation Center two years ago, Ishrak said.

Hemodialysis procedure which helps remove waste and extra fluid from the human body is case of partial or complete kidney failure has been proven clinically to be an effective means to extend life and ease pain for late-stage renal disease patients. But conventional hemodialysis procedure consumes excessive ultra-purified water.

In China, there are 1.5 to 2 million late-stage renal disease patients. Only 300,000 receive hemodialysis on a regular basis. Only major hospitals have enough resources to run hemodialysis facilities.

The Medtronic hemodialysis system with significantly lower water consumption, increased portability, advanced sensors that enable remote care and a user-friendly interface, has the potential to be deployed in smaller hospitals with a smaller budget, community health centers or even in the average household, Ishrak said.