The market for refurbished medical equipment in In­dia, particularly the high-end equipment sector which comprises CT scan machines, MRIs, interventional radiology (cathlab), and more, is rapidly expanding and undergoing change driven by tightening regulatory require­ments, and demand for reasonably priced equipment of op­timal quality. While traditionally a price sensitive market, India is now focusing on equipment quality, emphasizing import of systems which are checked by AERB, MOEF, and align with the prescribed quality standards, eliminating the potential of any sub standard equipment getting imported.

In addition to these, challenges like on-time service, and minimizing downtime need to be addressed by companies providing refurbished medical equipment. This is where SBM Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd. emerges as a preferred partner, offering online support 24/7, ensuring equipment downtime is minimal by providing spare parts and support on site on priority. Leveraging its pan India presence, the company offers complete installation solutions all across the country, which is facilitated by its numerous installation bases.

Legacy of Excellence

Established in 2002, SBM Healthcare has grown to become a prominent solutions provider, and the first company in India to provide its services to Siemens Equipments. An AERB approved, and MOEF registered company, SBM Healthcare has expanded its presence across the length and breadth of India, establishing fully functional installation bases across key cities right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The firm takes a meticulous approach to selecting machines that are sparsely used abroad in Europe, USA, Japan, and other countries, and picking them from small towns that have very low population, which results in more residual life of the system.

In addition to installation solutions spread across the country, the company has also established offices in New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata, and a cadre of support engineers that are based in Patna, Jammu, Bangalore, and Nagpur. These comprehensive and strategically positioned workforces effectively cater to the customer demands, and offer world-class services, as well as ongoing support, ensuring minimal downtime. Backed by a team of seasoned engineers who bring more than 15 years of experience in the industry, and expertise in efficiently servicing CT scan machines.

“Our backbone has always been on time service, keeping average uptime of 97 percent. In most of the sites it goes up to 99 percent as well. However, we try to keep a few of our staff available at all times including holidays, as we try to keep machines running so that patients do not suffer. Another major differentiator that sets us apart is that we sell imported refurbished systems which are sparsely used, giving the look and feel of the new system and have more residual life compared to systems which are used in India”, shares Vikas Kaul, Director, SBM Healthcare.

Beyond service excellence, the company has made a mark in the competitive domain by providing a competitive price point for the machines it imports. Since its establishment, SBM Healthcare has strived to offer high-quality, new feel machines at significantly lower costs than other providers, and today, provides them at a major cost reduction ranging between 40 percent to 50 percent compared to OEMs. This cost reduction plays a pivotal role in minimizing the burden of costs from the patients, by allowing healthcare facilities, diagnostic centers, and hospitals to lower their operational costs.

To assure its solutions reach the customers on time, the company takes a proactive and structured approach of understanding client requirements, and guiding them about the best solutions suitable for their needs, followed by conducting site visits, and providing consultations about the basic requirements before the equipment is delivered, ensuring a seamless installation effort after the machines are delivered on site. Providing installation support, the company offers a team of trained experts who provide the installation services as well.

“At SBM Healthcare, our primary focus has always been on the range of services we provide to our clients. This rings deep in our ethos, and starts with quick response time once the breakdown call is reported to us. We try to keep the minimum response time by moving our engineers on site who gather information regarding breakdown errors. Our logistics teams also work proactively, and send suspicious spare parts to the site so that by the time the engineer reaches the site, the spare parts are also ready and can be replaced, if required”, adds Vikas.

Future Roadmap

With a proven track record of delivering exceptional service, which is second to none, SBM Healthcare has carved a distinguished position for itself in the refurbished medical equipment market in India. As it envisions its future, the company is excited to explore expansion opportunities with plans to establish offices in the UAE, through which it aspires to cater to the clients based in Africa and the Middle East. 

With Dubai as a major port hub connecting the east and the west, SBM Healthcare plans to leverage the strategic location to keep its stocks which can be efficiently moved to different parts of the world in a short span. Furthermore, with UAE’s supportive business policies, and Free Trade Zones, the company also hopes to store its stocks without incurring high customs costs, which will allow it to lower costs for end-users even more.