Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • News
  • Industry
  • Medical Devices News
  • Government Bans Import...

Government Bans Import of Refurbished Medical Devices

Farhat NasimWritten by Farhat Nasim Published On 2025-01-17T18:44:01+05:30  |  Updated On 17 Jan 2025 6:44 PM IST
4 Diabetes Medication FDCs including Glimipride Metformin Strength banned by Health Ministry
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

New Delhi: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued a directive to halt the import of refurbished medical devices, citing the absence of specific regulations under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017.

The directive, issued through a letter dated January 10, 2025, to the Principal Commissioner of Customs, emphasizes that such devices cannot be imported for sale or distribution due to the lack of licensing provisions.

The CDSCO's move aims to address concerns over the safety and reliability of refurbished medical equipment entering the Indian market without proper certification. "The clarification by the regulator is a welcome move and a huge 'Make in India' investment enabler," Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMED), told Economic Times.

The decision also follows growing alarm among industry stakeholders about the potential risks to patient safety. Last year, the Patient Safety and Access Initiative of India Foundation (PSAIIF) filed a public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court, flagging the hazards posed by these devices.

While the domestic medical device industry has praised the move, others have raised concerns about its impact on underserved areas. The Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) estimates that pre-owned medical equipment accounts for 10% of India's Rs 1,500 crore medical equipment industry, playing a vital role in meeting the demand for affordable healthcare solutions in Tier-II, Tier-III, and rural areas.

“The government has suspended all imports of refurbished medical devices until a policy framework is established,” MTaI said in a statement reviewed by Fortune India. “To avoid disruptions, it is essential to allow imports through necessary approvals in the interim.”

Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone, hailed the decision, describing it as a "true policy intervention that will guard the domestic industry against dumping of equipment with uncertain quality." He further noted that the move would promote patient safety and bolster the local manufacturing sector, as quoted in ET.

Also Read: Severe Risk with Import of Second-Hand CT Scanners, MRI Machines, Surgical Robots, Warns Industry Body; Files PIL

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is now working on forming a high-level expert committee to create a regulatory framework for refurbished medical devices. In the meantime, all consignments containing such devices currently held at ports will need to be returned, Deputy Drugs Controller (India) Aseem Sahu said at a recent workshop co-hosted by CDSCO and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), reports Business Standard.

The import of refurbished devices was previously allowed under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Second Amendment Rules, 2023, enacted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The rules permitted imports of devices up to five years old, with a list initially comprising 50 high-value medical devices but later trimmed to 38 in October 2024.

Rajiv Nath highlighted that India does not allow the import of pre-owned cars or iPhones and argued for a similar stance on refurbished medical devices. "We welcome multinational corporations to invest in India and manufacture these high-technology devices locally, similar to the automobile and mobile phone sectors. A healthy competition is always welcome," he told ET.

The CDSCO's action reflects a broader push to align with the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, which envisions India as a global hub for medical device manufacturing. “We hope the policy review will consider this alignment and address patient safety concerns while fostering a robust domestic manufacturing ecosystem,” Nath told Fortune India.

While the industry waits for a regulatory framework, the halt on imports has sparked a debate over the balance between patient safety, domestic manufacturing, and the need to ensure affordable healthcare in underserved regions.

cdscorefurbished medical devicesmedical devices rules 2017india medical importsmedical device safetyhealth ministry indiarefurbished device banmedical devicesimportmedical device importlatest newsmedical device newsindiamtaiAIMEDbanillegal importmedical device industrymedical device
Source : with inputs
Farhat Nasim
Farhat Nasim

    Farhat Nasim joined Medical Dialogue an Editor for the Business Section in 2017. She Covers all the updates in the Pharmaceutical field, Policy, Insurance, Business Healthcare, Medical News, Health News, Pharma News, Healthcare and Investment. She is a graduate of St.Xavier’s College Ranchi. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in Contact no. 011-43720751

    Show Full Article
    Next Story

    Editorial

    National Consensus 2025 on Role of Bisoprolol Across CV Continuum in Women: Top 10 Takeaways

    National Consensus 2025 on Role of Bisoprolol Across CV Continuum in Women: Top 10 Takeaways

    Relevance of Pioglitazone in Indian T2DM Care Continuum

    Relevance of Pioglitazone in Indian T2DM Care Continuum

    Azmarda Outperforms Generic Sacubitril/Valsartan in HFrEF Management, says new study

    Azmarda Outperforms Generic Sacubitril/Valsartan in HFrEF Management, says new study

    First Indian Consensus on Managing Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Recommends Vonoprazan

    First Indian Consensus on Managing Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Recommends Vonoprazan

    Re-visiting the Role of Pneumococcal Vaccination in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

    Re-visiting the Role of Pneumococcal Vaccination in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

    View All

    Journal Club Today

    Study Reveals Why Your Immune System Works Better in Daylight

    Study Reveals Why Your Immune System Works Better in Daylight

    View All

    Health News Today

    Health Bulletin 30/May/2025

    Health Bulletin 30/May/2025

    View All
    © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
    Powered By: Hocalwire
    X
    We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok