In a major victory for affordable healthcare, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (NSCB) Medical College in Jabalpur has shattered a long-standing international monopoly by developing an indigenous, low-cost life-saving surgical material. The institution’s Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MDRU), working in close collaboration with the Department of Plastic Surgery, has successfully engineered a homegrown version of an Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM). An ADM is a highly specialised ‘biological scaffold’ or medical patch used as a foundational layer in critical reconstructive surgeries, such as severe burn treatments and tissue repairs. This research and development milestone was made possible through crucial financial support, institutional backing and continuous guidance from the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Until now, Indian hospitals were entirely dependent on heavily priced imports, making the material a distant luxury for economically vulnerable patients.

 

Speaking on the breakthrough, Dr Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Breast and Endocrine Surgeon at NSCBMC, stated, “We have developed an indigenous, high-quality medical material that slashes the cost of critical reconstructive surgeries by an astronomical margin. By working in close collaboration with the Department of Plastic Surgery, the MDRU has successfully developed an indigenous Acellular Dermal Matrix.” The financial impact of this innovation is monumental. Where the imported commercial ADM costs anywhere between Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 3,00,000 per piece, Jabalpur’s Indigenous ADM will cost patients less than Rs 1,000 per piece. By slashing the cost by more than 100 times, the team has effectively removed the financial barrier to essential reconstructive care, turning a luxury medical resource into an accessible public health tool. This historic breakthrough has officially reached a formal milestone with its publication in the Patent Journal of India. The innovation is the result of strong, dedicated teamwork and institutional backing under the guidance of NSCB Medical College Dean, Professor Dr Navneet Saxena and leadership of Professor Dr Pawan Agrawal. The core innovation team comprises Scientist Dr Shubham Nema, Breast & Endocrine Surgeon Dr Sanjay Yadav, and Junior Resident Dr Alok Deshmukh.