subject: Developing Nations Adopt Oximeters [print this page] Developing nations throughout the world are upping their efforts to maintain or better health and safety amongst their population. Countries like India first started by educating its people about safe sex, and the use of condoms, which is a topic of great shame in the country. The topic of sex is rarely brought up since the culture is strictly resistant to it. As developing nations are working to better their economies, it was obvious that to save money, they had to put more focus on preventative healthcare. Profit margins set forth by major medical device and pharmaceutical companies make this very difficult for developing nations to provide their citizens the best medical practices and products at affordable prices to their locals.
The old pulse oximters of the medical world were bulky and very pricy, which only left them accessible to the large clients and not most end users. A patient was dependent on his or her doctor or clinic to get a simple oxygen reading, but if they wanted to check their blood pressure a local pharmacy offered cost effective devices. Another problem with these old style oximeters was their size. Developing nations do not always have stabilized hospitals with set locations; therefore, portability is key to any in these types of countries.
Recent breakthroughs in technology in the computer industry have led way to advances in other industries as well. The medical industry is no stranger to this association. As computer processor chips got smaller and faster, so did pulse oximeters. A pulse oximeter is now available in a new fingertip size, which is very portable and can easily be put in the pocket or purse. These oximeters run on standard AA batteries, which are easily accessible throughout the World. Prices for these new pulse oximeters are under $100, which make them very accessible to developing nations, and to third world nations as well.
