Stent Price Cap: Doctors Oppose Negative Projection in Media

New Delhi : Medical practitioners, particularly cardiologists, seem to have appeared an undue casualty of the recent stent price cap, with the repeated media reports implying doctors as co-accused in keeping the stent prices high and profiteering with the high margins. Even in the recent speech of the Prime Minister, Honorable Shri Narendra Modi at Phulpur rally a few days ago, displayed a mistrust towards medical practitioners in the rational use of stents in patients.

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The recent projection of the fraternity has indeed not gone well with the doctors, who besides the accusations feel that such projections would ruin the doctor patient relationship for years to come.

Cardiology Society of India, the main association of Cardiologists across the country, specifically brought up the issue in its meeting of  National Executive Committee at Kolkata under the presidentship of Dr M.S Hiremath, unanimously resolving

“We take strong objection to the derogatory remarks against Cardiologists appearing in certain sections of the media. The Cardiological Society of India strongly believes in ethical medical practices and will ensure the public that it is always committed to improve cardiac health (saving lives and reducing disability) of Indians. Instead a lauding the efforts of the Interventional Cardiology community towards reduction in mortality (saving lives) and morbidity (reducing the disability) a patients with heart disease, these articles portray doctors as crooks and villains. We plead to these media to act responsibly before casting unfounded aspersions.”

Speaking to Medical Dialogues team, Dr Prem Aggarwal, Cardiologist and President, National Medical Forum, “ On behalf of the medical profession and the millions of patients, we request the government to kindly continue their efforts in the right direction for affordable medical treatment for all and do not denigrate the medical profession and this would hamper the doctors patient relation and create a atmosphere of suspicion that would remain for years to come."