APACMed CEO Harjit Gill on how AI is revolutionising healthcare

At its helm is Gill, a seasoned leader with a proven track record in driving growth and innovation. Hailing from England with an Indian heritage, she spent 25 years at Philips, honing her leadership skills in international roles such as executive vice‑president and chief executive officer, Asean and Pacific, expanding the company’s footprint in the healthcare, lighting and consumer lifestyle sectors.

“Growth is something I’m passionate about,” she emphasises. And with a marketing background, Gill brings a keen eye for industry trends to her role as well. “For marketers,” she quips, “the dream is innovation.”

Recognising the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem, she prioritises stakeholder management. “You can’t do business in healthcare without managing the entire ecosystem,” she expounds. Under Gill’s leadership, APACMed has nearly doubled its membership. It has also cultivated a strong talent pipeline through hiring and coaching young professionals.

To accelerate technology adoption in Asia, a multipronged approach is essential. APACMed actively engages with governments, advocates for industry priorities and shapes policies to create a favourable environment for innovative medical technologies. Collaboration is at the core of its mission.

The organisation has built a robust network encompassing local trade associations in countries such as Australia, China, Japan and South Korea. “These partnerships provide valuable insights into local trends and challenges. Together, we talk to governments and ministries. In some markets, such as Asean, we make direct engagements with policymakers,” Gill shares.

This collaborative approach extends to regulatory bodies, such as Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority, as well as global organisations, such as the Global Harmonization Working Party and the International Medical Device Regulators Forum, to shape industry standards and facilitate market access. APACMed also invests in developing industry talent, partnering with academic institutions such as the National University of Singapore and Beijing’s Tsinghua University to offer training programmes for regulators and industry professionals.

These capacity‑building efforts, coupled with strong industry collaborations, position APACMed as a leading trade association in the region’s healthcare landscape. With the rapid pace of innovation happening in medtech, a lot more work needs to be done to show the industry’s collective impact to patients. According to Gill, this is where advocacy becomes key. “Companies do the good work of innovation and we at APACMed partner with them to advocate for faster patient access to these technologies in countries,” she says.

The industry’s conservatism, she admits, makes it difficult to expedite changes. Regulatory hurdles and slow reimbursement processes can further impede progress. Therefore, providing compelling evidence of the benefits of new medtech is crucial to accelerate these processes. To that end, APACMed is working to raise industry visibility, streamline regulatory processes, and demonstrate the value of medical technology to patients and policymakers.

In spite of these obstacles, Gill is optimistic about the future of healthcare. “We’re entering a new era of intelligent healthcare,” she enthuses. AI, according to her, will be a ubiquitous force, driving innovations in diagnostics, data analytics and personalised medicine. “Robotics,” she says, “can create autonomy in certain parts of the healthcare system”, from surgical assistance to administrative tasks, allowing for increased efficiency and improved patient outcomes.

The rise of wearable technology is also empowering individuals to take a proactive role in managing their health. “More people want to take ownership of their health,” Gill notes. This shift, coupled with advancements in remote monitoring and virtual care, is enabling a transition towards outpatient and affordable home‑based care. “Governments will engage you to manage your health better from the outset,” she adds. This population health management approach, focused on prevention and early intervention, is crucial for addressing the rising tide of chronic diseases in the region.

While advancements in digital health offer promising solutions, challenges persist. “There are many gaps,” acknowledges Gill, “with one of them being the generational divide.” For instance, older populations still prefer face‑to‑face consultations with doctors.

Another critical challenge is data interoperability. “We see some great examples of companies and governments collaborating to provide coordinated care programmes, but it’s still very difficult to get data to ‘talk’ to each other,” she says. The digital health landscape is also complex and requires robust regulation. Gill highlights that distinguishing “superficial solutions from real evidence‑based products” is crucial, adding that “regulating real solutions, especially digital ones, founded on real clinical products or evidence is imperative”.

The consistent use of digital health tools, such as wearable devices, is yet another hurdle. As Gill notes: “Behavioural change is a significant challenge. Sticking to monitoring one’s own data is tough.” She envisions a future where healthcare is affordable and accessible for all. To achieve this, APACMed will drive innovation, strengthen industry collaboration and advocate for policies that support a healthier population. “We need to invest in healthcare and ensure faster access,” she says, highlighting the challenges of the region’s growing ageing population and increasing risk of disease.

“We also need to explore new business models and solutions that allow us more ways of delivering care,” Gill adds, citing remote monitoring and out‑of‑hospital care as crucial components of this strategy.

By fostering strong partnerships and elevating the industry’s profile to key stakeholders, APACMed aims to shape the future of healthcare. “I want to build better relationships so we can have faster access to [more healthcare solutions]. We’re the voice of the industry,” Gill asserts. “We need a seat at the table when it comes to regulating new technologies.”

The APACMed MedTech Forum 2024 is happening on September 5 and 6. Tickets are available here.

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