TOKYO, December 24, 2024 – FUJIFILM Corporation announces the opening of the “NURA Global Innovation Center,” a new hub for health screening services in Kozhikode, Kerala, India. NURA Global Innovation Center functions not only as a health screening center providing screenings and tests for cancer and lifestyle diseases, but also as a training center for medical staff, including doctors, radiological technologists, and nurses who work at “NURA” health screening centers that Fujifilm is rapidly expanding in emerging countries. Additionally, the new center serves as a centralized remote interpretation center for medical images taken at NURA centers across India. This strategic hub is designed to drive the expansion of Fujifilm’s health screening services business.
According to the “World Health Statistics 2024” published by WHO, the average life expectancy of the Japanese is 84.5 years, ranking first in the world. It is thought that the long life expectancy of the Japanese people is due to their culture of regular health screenings, in addition to a healthy eating culture and a well-developed medical care system. Health screening is expected not only to detect diseases such as cancer at an early stage, but also to prevent diseases by understanding the physical condition. However, there are few health screening centers in emerging countries, and the culture of regular health screenings has not taken root. Additionally, there is a shortage of medical professionals, such as radiological technologists capable of handling advanced medical equipment and doctors who can interpret CT images.
Fujifilm opens the NURA Global Innovation Center in Kozhikode, Kerala, India. Kerala is the birthplace of Dr. Kutty's Healthcare, a Fujifilm’s partner company in the health screening service business, and has produced many outstanding medical professionals who serve around the world. The new center is the eighth health screening center that uses Fujifilm’s medical devices and AI technology to assist doctors in diagnostics, and provides Japanese-style high-quality health screening services to local residents and employees of nearby companies / medical facilities. Additionally, the center will serve as a training center for developing medical staff, including doctors, radiological technologists, and nurses working at NURA, and as a centralized remote interpretation center for medical images taken at NURA within India. This center is designed to contribute to the expansion and improvement of service quality at NURA. Furthermore, Fujifilm will leverage the center as a development hub for AI diagnostic support technology using images taken at NURA*1, thereby accelerating the development of its AI technology.
In 2021, Fujifilm opened its first NURA health screening center in Bengaluru, India and started its health screening service business in emerging countries. Since then, Fujifilm has expanded the number of health screening centers, and currently has four centers in India, two in Mongolia, and one in Vietnam. NURA is equipped with Fujifilm's medical devices including CT scan and mammography system, as well as medical IT system based on AI technology designed to support doctors conduct screening and tests for cancer and lifestyle diseases. The service has been well received by users, with more than 77,000 people already using the service, thanks to the convenience of being able to complete all checks and receive feedback on the results in just about 120 minutes. Another point that has been highly acclaimed is that users are able to hear the results from a doctor while viewing the actual diagnostic images.
Fujifilm aims to expand the number of health screening centers which uses Fujifilm's medical devices, AI technology to assist doctors in diagnostics, and the operational know-how gained through the operation of NURA to 100 locations by the fiscal year 2030. By creating an environment where more people can receive high-quality health screening services, Fujifilm will contribute to the advancement of global health and the promotion and maintenance of people's health.
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FUJIFILM Corporation
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