Brazil – A Continent of Medical Devices Industries

Brazil is an emerging market and economy, also known as one of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India & China) countries has made significant strides in the medical device industries. Brazilian medical device products are world-class and their exports show growth of over 8%, compared to total industry growth of 6% globally as estimated by the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Brazil is ranked second medical devices manufacturer of all emerging countries after China. Franco Pallamolla, president of the related industry trade organization, ABIMO, commented that 70% of the ABIMO member companies export their products and services to 180 countries on 5 different continents.

Brazil has attracted significant foreign investments in this sector, due to its favorable trade policy, highly skilled labor, and world-class educational and research institutes for R & D and product development. Societal, cultural and political structures are conducive to integration of race and religion.

My recent visits to some of the medical devices companies affirm the technical and service excellence compatibility of the products. Fanem is one of those leading organizations that began its innovation with painting Ford Model - T parts, and introduced their first incubator in Brazil. Now its product lines expand from neonatal to bio-safety. Its impressive research, engineering and manufacturing plants deploys in-house simulation techniques, materials optimization, and manufacturing processes from advanced stamping to laser cutting. All products go through extensive quality control and safety audit prior to their shipment to global destinations. Fanem stays behind its products after sales and ensures proper maintenance and procedural efficacy.

Mr. Galindo, a hands-on engineer and innovator of Ortosintese, proudly guided our visits to his manufacturing plants where they manufacture orthopedics for knee, hip, shoulder, spine and other bone structures and joints. Each orthopedic product line provides complete patient care solutions, such as external fixator product line would consist of wrist and forearm, Finger, Sintefix, Circular System, and Ulsson. All materials used in the manufacturing devices meet or exceed ASTM standards. All materials received from vendors go through in-house quality checks from physical materials characterizations to conformity of specifications. After the rigorous processes of material validation, the production of orthopedic devices begins and subsequent manufacturing, assembly and final tests would result in the end products.

Using these two examples, I wanted to illustrate the capabilities and technological know-how’s of the Brazilian medical devices and hospital equipment industries. There are over 500 similar companies in Brazil making a difference in the global health care industry every day!

Dr. M. Nasim Uddin
Editor-in-Chief