The government has held a meeting with stent makers and importers to review its availability in market amid reports that an artificial scarcity is being created in the garb of withdrawing the device for price relabelling.
There are reports of shortage of stents in hospitals after the government reduced their prices by up to 85%, capping rates of bare metal stents at ₹7,260 and drug-eluting ones at ₹29,600 on February 13.
“The government held a meeting with all domestic stent manufacturers as well as all the importers and their associations. They have all agreed that the supplies would be maintained and no shortage will be allowed to develop. There is enough stock,” Pharma Secretary Jai Priye Prakash said.
It was also decided that if needed, a separate meeting with associations and bodies of hospitals will be called with the assistance of health secretary to sensitise the hospitals too, Mr. Prakash added. Senior officials of Department of Pharma and NPPA had met the stent manufacturers and importers to review the availability of stents in the market.
Unethical practices
“We are keeping an eye on all those who are engaging in unethical practices such as creating artificial shortage of stents, not abiding by the fixed ceiling price etc., against whom strict action will be taken,” Mr. Prakash had earlier said.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals has already written separately to NPPA, DCGI and Ministry of Health, requesting them to take “necessary action” to curb artificial shortage.
