Hospitals could be charging 2,841% higher on commonly used consumables
A report highlights that Indian hospitals often charge massive markups on medical consumables, sometimes exceeding 2,800% of the wholesale price. Regulators are now facing pressure to address the lack of price caps on these devices compared to scheduled medicines.
Why it matters
The high cost of medical consumables significantly inflates out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for patients, raising questions about regulatory oversight in the private hospital sector.
NEW DELHI: An IV infusion set priced in the wholesale market for Rs 11 carries an MRP of Rs 325, while a disposable syringe available for under Rs 7 has a price tag of around Rs 60, putting a spotlight on one of the least visible components of hospital bills: the price of widely used consumables during treatment. The gap becomes even more stark for high-value devices such as pacemakers, heart valves and intraocular lenses, where the final MRP may be 10-30 fold higher than the import landed price.Such huge mark-ups ultimately inflate the patient's hospital bill and may add significantly to the out-of-pocket treatment cost.The issue has been flagged multiple times over last 15 years but a fresh push by Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revived a question that has remained unresolved for years: who ultimately sets price of a medical device - the manufacturer, the hospital…
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