The number of medical devices produced by local companies has surpassed those imported from other countries for the first time since 2011, according to a report released by the government, Monday.

The number of local companies’ medical devices reported to the government last year reached 4,222, accounting for 51.6 percent in the market, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

The total number of reported medical devices here, including imports, reached 8,183, slightly down from 8,269 in 2019, the report added.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a major factor contributing to the increase in locally produced devices.

The number of COVID-19 test kits that received production and export approvals last year reached 249, accounting for 22 percent of all medical devices with manufacturing approvals.

The government data showed an inventory of 40 reported or certified infrared thermometers, and 69 appliances used for collecting specimens from COVID-19 patients.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence-based medical devices that received approvals from the government also shot up in 2020, the report said.

There were 50 approved AI-powered medical devices, up from only 10 in 2019.

Of the total, 45 were developed by local companies, and five were imported, with most of them AI-based telemedicine software, the ministry added.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)