Increase in stent prices shows government's commitment to quality healthcare: MTaI

The Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI), a body representing leading medical technology companies, Monday said the increase in coronary stent prices is in line with inflation and in the interest of the industry. The organisation, in a statement, said the hike is testimony to government's commitment to quality healthcare services in the country. "The increase in prices of stents indicates that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is mindful of the operational pressures in the medical device industry," MTaI Chairman and Director General Pavan Choudary said in the statement.

He expressed hope that in the interest of Indian patients, the government will bring in a policy to differentially price the innovative generations of medical devices.

"We are also engaged with the NPPA to find a way to offset the exchange value depreciation and thus mitigate the economic threats in the system to the medical device industry," Choudary said. Drug price regulator NPPA has approved hike in prices of cardiac stents by 4.2 per cent in-line with the wholesale price index (WPI) of the previous calendar year, as per an official statement.

As per the new prices notified by the NPPA, a bare metal stent (BMS) would now cost Rs 8,261, while the drug eluting stent (DES) will cost Rs 30,080 from April 1. A coronary stent is a tube-shaped device placed in the arteries that supplies blood to heart. It keeps the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart diseases.