The Essential Commodities Act will be invoked against those charging excess price for coronary stent, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja has said.
Replying to a submission by P.T.A. Rahim in the Assembly on Friday, Ms. Shylaja said the government would furnish the National Drug Pricing Authority (NDPA) with details of the manufacturers who charge excess price.
She said preliminary steps had been initiated to supply coronary stent and orthopaedic implants through Karunya community pharmacies. Details were being collected from five medical colleges and the Ernakulam and Palakkad General Hospitals regarding the number of surgeries conducted annually and the monthly stent requirement. On getting the details, the government would seek expert opinion and directly procure it from manufacturers and distribute them through the pharmacies. The price control was applicable to indigenously produced and imported stents and the regulation was applicable to all distributors, the Minister said.
She said the government was aware that private hospitals were putting a burden on patients by charging exorbitant bills for medical procedures following the regulation in coronary stent price. In the wake of complaints, the NDPA had decided to scrutinise the details of coronary treatment, including angioplasty, conducted in all hospitals. Nursing homes and hospitals that conduct cardiac surgeries using stents should maintain the bills issued to patients, cost of the coronary stent, brand name, batch number, name of the importer or manufacturer for scrutiny.
The NPPA would take action against distributors who are reluctant to place fresh orders following the regulation in prices, she said.
