While General Electric (GE) saw a 4 percent drop in revenues in the 2010 third quarter profits over 2009 third quarter profits, GE Healthcare reported a 4 percent jump in profits in the quarter-over-quarter profits.

“For the first time in eight quarters, we saw growth in both equipment and service orders,” said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. “Healthcare orders in China and India improved by more than 20 percent.”

GE Healthcare reported its profits were $3.96 billion the third quarter of 2010, compared with $3.8 billion in the 2009 third quarter, representing a 4 percent increase. Also, the segment profits increased 14 percent in the third quarter of 2010 to $581 million.

In the healthcare segment, the company recorded $4.2 billion in orders, which is a 6 percent increase, along with an 8 percent increase in equipment orders and a 1 percent increase in service orders—all compared with the second quarter of 2009.