Medanta, Fortis among 7 hospitals raided to check stents price in Haryana

Haryana Food and Drugs Administration teams raided seven private hospitals in various cities to ensure no hospital violates the Centre’s directives on price of stents implants.

The teams conducted raids at hospitals in Panchkula, Sonipat and Gurugram, where cardiac stent implants are carried out, to ensure that no hospital violates the directions of the the Centre regarding price of stents and there is no shortage of cardiac stents, Health Minister Anil Vij said.

The prescribed prices of cardiac stents were checked by the teams at Alchemist Hospital in Panchkula, Medanta - The Medicity, Artemis Health Institute, Paras Hospital, Columbia Asia Hospital and Fortis Hospital of Gurugram and Tulip Hospital in Sonipat, he said in a statement.

Apart from this, raids were also conducted at four cath labs and 10 pharmaceutical shops of the state, Vij said.

The state government had issued directions that action would be initiated if any hospital charges more than the price prescribed by the Central government, the Minister said.

The government has reduced prices of coronary stents by up to 85%, capping them at Rs 7,260 for bare metal ones and Rs 29,600 for the drug eluting variety.

He said the Department has been ensuring that the patients get the stents at the reduced prices.

A coronary stent is a tube-shaped device placed in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. It keeps the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart diseases.

The maximum retail cost of a stent currently ranges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1.98 lakh.