PANAJI
Heart patients can now breathe easy. A notification issued by the Central government is expected to put an end to a lucrative racket in cardiac stents involving corporate hospitals, unscrupulous cardiac surgeons and middlemen.
The notification effectively puts a cap on prices of cardiac stents, with cardiologists indicating that it will end an already existing racket of overcharging patients for the same.
Doctors in the State have welcomed the move adding that it would now help bring transparency to the way it functions today. In the past, patients would have to shell out anything between Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh for stents that are wire meshes inserted surgically to open up narrow or weak arteries. The procedure of placing the stent in an artery is called angioplasty.
Speaking to The Goan, cardiologist Dr Francisco Colaco said the move would bring an end to the overpricing of stents and ‘planned racket’ involving middlemen.
“There have long been complaints of stents being overpriced. Originally, the price isn’t so high. But there are a lot of middlemen that sell it for high prices. Corporate hospitals too charge huge amounts. It had turned into a planned racket where only the patient was suffering,” he said.
Having a cap on the price of the stent will now enable this doesn’t happen. Dr Colaco said a stent that would normally cost Rs 35,000 would be charged at Rs 1 lakh by hospitals as middlemen sold it at three times the actual price.
Dr Shekar Salkar, president of the Goa Medical Council and doctor at Manipal Hospitals agrees that the move would help benefit patients.
“It will definitely work for the patient’s benefit and the patient would not have to compromise on affordability and middlemen. Those hesitant to get an angioplasty will also not have to worry as the prices would be standardised,” he said.
According to the Health Ministry notification, coronary stents have been added to the 2015 National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). Drugs listed under NLEM are under price control and with coronary stents making the list, the days of exorbitant prices may see its end.
As per the notification, all three types of meshes: bare metal stent, drug eluding stent as well as the biodegradable Xience stent are to be considered under the list. Currently bare metal stents cost the least starting at Rs 10,000 with drug eluding stents costing Rs 23,000 and above while the Xience stents cost the highest.
The committee that made the recommendation to the central government took into account the high numbers of coronary diseases and the need for percutaneous coronary interventions or angioplasty with stent.
