Cardiologists have emphasised the need to bring accessories used for implanting stents to treat patients with narrow or weak arteries under price regulation to make angioplasty affordable.

Mere capping of the price of the implanting devices will not curb the exploitation of the patients, the government should also cap prices of all the accessories used along with stents including all types of angiography catheters, pacemakers and other cardiac devices to reduce medical bills of patients, said Dr KK Aggarwal, eminent cardiologist and president of Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI).

It is learnt that hospitals had hiked the prices of consumables such as guide wires, balloons, catheters used during stent implantation to make up losses after the capping of stent prices last year. They billed stents and consumables separately.

For the second year in a row, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has slashed prices of expensive drug eluting cardiac stent. The cost of basic metallic stents has been marginally increased. After several rounds of consultation with various stakeholders, the price of drug-eluting stent has been slashed by Rs.1,710 to Rs.27,890 from Rs.29,600 while the price of bare metal stent (BMS) has been increased by Rs.400 to Rs.7,660 from Rs.7,260. In an order, the NPPA said that the trade margin has been capped at 8%, making the current rates valid till 31st March 2019.

Under the order, all manufacturers of coronary stents, selling branded or non-branded, at prices higher than the ceiling price, shall revise the price of all such stents downward not exceeding the ceiling price. It also mandates hospitals to provide a clear break-up of the prices levied for other items used in medical procedures which help reduce treatment cost for patients.

Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, who is also Vice President, CMAAO, said, “This price regulation of stent accessories will help in curbing unethical practices of healthcare facilities such as charging more from patients for medical procedure to recover their losses due to reduction in stent prices. Further, it will help in removing the public agony and mistrust over doctors and hospitals. Currently, the entire medical fraternity is under scanner for all wrong reasons and for acts committed by a certain section. Such steps will help dispel these doubts and fears in the minds of people.”

Echoing Dr Aggarwal's stand, Dr Salil Shirodkar, senior consultant, cardiology, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital said, “Price cap on cardiac stents is definitely a move in the positive direction. There should also be simultaneous capping of all the accessories used along with stents to make medical procedure more transparent and affordable.”

A coronary stent is a tiny wire mesh tube that is placed inside an artery in order to remove any blockages and widen it so that blood flow is uninterrupted. It is also used to support weak arteries which have difficulty in maintaining blood flow. Stents that are not coated with drugs are called bare metal stents. There is another category of stents which elute an anti-proliferative drug to prevent cell proliferation?—?known as “medicated stents” or drug eluting stents. Both are widely used.