Drastic reduction in price of stents: Govt

New Delhi, December 9

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday claimed drastic reduction in the price of stents (used in cardiac arteries) following the government’s intervention.

Answering discussion on the “National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021” tabled in the Rajya Sabha today for its passage, Mandaviya said ‘bare-metal stent’, which was earlier sold in the market for Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000, was now being sold at a flat price Rs 7,500 across the country.

The minister said the price of ‘drug-eluting stents’ used to range between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh. Following the government’s intervention, these were now sold for Rs 30,000 each, he said.

“We found out the production costs of stents. Then we called the manufacturing companies and told them that even if you sell at 100 per cent profit, the price should not become what you are asking for,” Mandaviya said, explaining how the price of the medical device was brought down.

The Health Minister said to promote the sale of generic medicine, more that 8,500 “janashaudhi” centres had been opened in the country, which catered to a total of 10 lakh to 15 lakh people daily. Mandaviya said the Bill had come with four amendments, which include qualifying six NIPERs (National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research) as institutes of national importance and introducing undergraduate and diploma courses. — TNS