Innovation is the most consistent acumen of human society which is leading lives into a new living sphere with the passing of each day, developments in the field of technology, science, big data as well as medicine is paving the way for an improved life for the current as well as the upcoming generations. Health is an essential part of the life of each person on the planet, the recent outbreak of Covid-19 and the lives lost because of the virus are a prime example of the need for medical innovation for increased chances of survival. The need for health care innovation is increasing with every passing day, Health care systems are a fundamental need of the world and public and private investors are fueling up the innovation cycle of this industry.

NIC Peshawar has been playing its part in medical innovation since its inception, startups like Aprus technologies as well as Sub Health are prime examples of innovations in the medical field. ThalaScreen is another startup working on a smart solution for thalassaemia screening with an IoT enabled thalassaemia testing device and an AI-enabled decision support system. World Health Organization has identified control of β-thalassaemia in developing countries as a priority. For supportive care and management of a child with thalassaemia major, nearly 200,000–540,000 PKR/year is required depending on the age and presence of complications. ThalaScreen aims to develop a central database as a national repository for Thalassaemia minor population to facilitate targeted screening. 

Delos M Cosgrove M.D, the CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic discusses the importance of medical innovation as:

The future belongs to those who seize opportunities created by innovation.

The founders of ThalaScreen, Dr. Salman and Dr. Yasir researched very hard and consistently on their very novel and innovative solution for screening of thalassaemia . At NIC Peshawar, they worked on developing a business model and mapped an extensive roadmap for the commercialization of their research. NIC Peshawar helped them in reaching out to various hospitals and other government offices to get permissions for clinical trials. Thalascreen is soon going to revolutionize the testing of thalassaemia helping thousands of patients particularly from far flung areas. Dr. Salman discussed his experiences at NIC Peshawar as:

“NIC has provided us with an exciting, dynamic and enriching environment that helped us fast-track the development cycle of a brainchild into reality.”