Resumption of elective surgeries required to soften COVID-19 blow to healthcare sector: Medical Technology Association of India

Industry body Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) on Thursday sought the government's intervention to ensure that elective surgical procedures are resumed at the earliest, as this would enable hospitals to re-start their normal operations.

The hospitals had to shut down their OPDs due to various government restrictions to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted their revenue flow, MTaI said in a statement.

Elective surgeries account for about 50 per cent of revenues for hospitals in normal business conditions. Reduced revenues have curtailed hospitals' ability to pay for supplies of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices, thereby severely disrupting entire healthcare value chain, it added.

The fall in revenue of hospitals is creating an unprecedented financial crisis for the medical device sector due to delays in payment, the statement said.

"The healthcare sector is in dire need of support to resume services to the optimal level. One quick measure in the current circumstances is resumption of elective procedures at the earliest," MTaI Director Sanjay Bhutani said.

Hospitals need to work in tandem with the government to start elective surgeries without compromising their capabilities to handle COVID-19 cases, he added.

"Creation of a clear communication module is equally important in order to allay any fears in the minds of patients," Bhutani said.