Stent: docs flay govt bid

A section of cardiologists from the private sector on Wednesday openly criticised the government for deciding to regulate prices of cardiac stents.

They said capping prices might not be in the best interest of patients in the long run if the manufacturing companies do not bring out their latest products in to the Indian market.

“Angioplasty involves complexities and needs all the advantages that the latest stents offer. These may appear as small advantages, but have the potential to make a huge difference in difficult cases,” said Shirish Hiremath, president, Cardiologist Society of India.

“A disproportionate focus on  pricing will not ensure holistic delivery of healthcare,” said Hiremath, also director of cath lab at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune.

Hiremath had earlier courted controversy by proposing a differential scoring system to categorise stents on the basis of product design, patient safety, clinical evidence and performance.

The latest warning follows a reminder from the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, which asked companies to maintain “uninterrupted supply” of cardiac stents – a scaffold-like device to facilitate blood flow inside blocked arteries – in the Indian market.