Reject pressure to review price control on med devices: AIDAN

The government should reject any pressure to review price control on medical devices by the US based medical device industry, the All India Drug Action Network today (AIDAN) said.
The development comes as the US medical firms have approached the US Trade Representative through Advanced Medical Technology Association requesting that India's benefits under the Generalised System of Preferences be suspended or withdrawn for failure to provide equitable and reasonable access to market for medical devices.
The AIDAN has termed the move highly reprehensible.
"This is
a barefaced attempt to intimidate
Indian government and

retaliate against
its decision to fix the retail prices

of cardiovascular stents and
knee implants in the public interest and
exposes the unabashed greed
of the industry
and its willingness to hold
poor
peoples' health at ransom
for the sake of maximising profits," AIDAN said in a statement.
The well-thought-out decision by the government to regulate the prices of cardiovascular
stents and knee implants puts
an end to the
rampant overcharging and the exploitation of the patients by
hospitals
and doctors in collusion with the companies, it added.
While asking the government to reject any
pressure
to review price control on medical devices, AIDAN also sought expansion of price control for other devices that are classified as drugs.

"We ask that price controls are urgently expanded to cover 19 additional categories of medical devices classified as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Drugs and Cosmetics
Rules," the statement said.
It also asked the US government to refrain from exerting policy pressure on
India for
taking the measures to make medicines and medical devices more affordable and accessible to patients that need them, it added.
AIDAN is a network of several non-government organisations working to increase access and improve the rational use of essential medicines.