Hyderabad, India -- Royal Philips Electronics has
announced a series of new portable, compact patient monitors that provides a reliable, yet affordable means to observe and care for patients. Now available to healthcare providers in India, the new Philips SureSigns VM3 is the first Philips patient monitor designed for emerging markets.

With a growing per capita income and adoption of new lifestyles, healthcare services in India are rapidly changing. In order to meet the increasing demand for quality care, people in urban areas have seen the construction of new, tate-of-the-art hospitals and associated satellite facilities, while others are increasingly seeking care at smaller nursing homes and clinics. This has fueled the demand for healthcare equipment across segments and the growth of the Indian patient monitoring equipment market is estimated to reach USD 42 million in 2010. Philips plans to garner a market share of 40% by 2010 through its diverse range of patient monitoring equipment.


"The SureSigns VM3 leverages the high-quality platform of Philips' industry-leading patient monitoring portfolio," said Anjan Bose, senior director and business head, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, Philips Healthcare India. "Combining advanced software and technology in a compact economical package, the VM3 is the perfect solution for caregivers across the wide variety of clinical environments we see here in India. This launch reaffirms our commitment to the Indian market, leveraging Philips' global expertise to introduce technologically-advanced offerings tailored to this market."

High-end patient monitors are out of reach for many small to mid-sized clinics, forcing doctors and nurses to apply treatment only based on visible symptoms. On occasion, this means they must wait for a patient's condition to deteriorate before changing treatment. With access to more affordable patient monitoring equipment, clinicians have the ability to observe a patient's vital signs and make more informed, timely decisions about patient care.

Built on a strong heritage and industry leadership in patient monitoring, the Philips SureSigns VM3 offers ECG, respiration and pulse oximetry in one user friendly, compact monitor that helps provide quality care in almost any clinical setting. It offers vital signs measurement and monitoring in an easy-to-use system that can be used in various departments throughout the hospital, nursing homes, private practices and rural clinics, as well as ambulances and mobile facilities.

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