Subsequent to NPPA receiving a number of complaints about stents being sold at higher prices by different hospitals across India, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a part of its larger plan to enhance vigilance in government and private hospitals detected one such hospital from Nashik recently for overcharging patients on coronory stents at the point of care.

“Action however could not be taken against the hospital as the stent was deployed in the patient on 11 February, 2017 and billed on February 12, 2017. The price capping exercise became effective from 14 February 2017,” says an FDA official associated with the development.

On February 14, NPPA announced cut in prices of coronary stents by up to 85 per cent by capping them at Rs.7,260 for bare metal ones and Rs.29,600 for drug eluting variety.

The step was taken to fix a standardised specification of stent and its MRP to stop fleecing and cheating of patients. NPPA had written to all its chief secretaries to ensure compliance of stents price capping, its availability and uninterrupted cardiac care services.

On February 26, the official Twitter handle of NPPA tweeted that a complaint was received against Anand Hospital (Meerut), Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai’s KEM Hospital.

Prior to this, complaints were received against Bharat Heart Institute (Dehradun), Uttarakhand, Oxygen Hospital (Rohtak), Haryana, Max Hospital Saket, New Delhi, Nidaan Multispecialty Hospital (Sonepat), Haryana and Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai. New Delhi’s Max Hospital and Nidaan Multispecialty Hospital from Haryana.

Sources said other hospitals have given seven days to respond, following which it will examine the case in detail. As and when the regulator receives complaint, with the help of hospitals’ bills and other documents, it examines the complaint. After preliminary investigations, NPPA sends show-cause notices to concerned hospitals.

If the responses are not satisfactory and allegations are confirmed, then the government will take a move to recover the amount hospitals have overcharged on stent, said officials.

NPPA has directed hospitals/nursing homes/clinics utilizing coronary stents shall specifically and separately mention the cost of the coronary stent along with its brand name, name of the manufacturer/importer/batch number. and other details, if any, in their billing to the patients or their representatives.

It is observed from the bill copies received along with the complaints received from the complainants/patients that hospitals are not complying with instructions specified in the
order.

Non-compliance of these instructions shall now be treated as deliberated distortion of evidence along with charges of overpricing. Such cases may also be taken up for prosecution under Essential Commodities (EC) Act.