Hospital bills in India could soon see relief as the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has exposed massive profit margins on essential medical items. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has urged the Central Government to urgently step in and control price hikes.
A detailed market survey by the Maharashtra State Price Monitoring Resource Unit (MSPMRU) revealed shocking price differences between procurement costs and printed Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs). The report highlighted that essential inpatient medical devices given to admitted patients are being sold at up to 29 times their actual manufacturing or purchase cost.
For instance, an IV set bought for just Rs 11.05 is charged to patients at Rs 325 representing a massive 2,841% profit margin. Similarly, a 10 ml syringe costing Rs 6.75 is sold for Rs 57.20, while a Rs 40 nebulizer mask is billed at Rs 715. Other items, such as IV cannulas and catheters, are also sold with extreme price markups.
In a letter to the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Mundhe called these steep price hikes irrational and unjustified. He pointed out that hospitalized patients have zero bargaining power during active medical treatment and are forced to pay whatever price is billed. To protect patients from heavy financial burdens, the FDA chief requested the Centre to place common inpatient surgical consumables under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013. Capping trade margins will curb unfair profiteering in private hospitals.
