Action Against 8 top Hospitals for Stent Overcharging in Mumbai

Mumbai: Maharashtra government told the Legislative Council that since January this year, action has been taken against eight major hospitals in Mumbai, which were found overcharging medical devices like stents.

State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Minister Girish Bapat said the government used provisions under the Legal Metrology Act to crack down on these hospitals.

Bapat was speaking during a debate after a Calling Attention Notice moved by Congress legislator Sanjay Dutt and others. “Eighteen medical devices are included in the list, which have to be sold at the MRP (maximum retail price) only. Action was taken against eight hospitals - Fortis, Breach Candy, Lilavati, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani, Asian Heart Institute, Global, L H Hiranandani and Sir H N Hospital,” Bapat said.

“These hospitals were found to have been charging stents in the range of Rs 1.05 lakh to Rs 1.90 lakh although they had procured the same from importers at Rs 50,000 to Rs 90,000," the minister said.

According to him, the government has filed cases under the Consumer Protection Act, which has provisions up to seven years jail term.