Private hospitals hail capping of cardiac stent rates by govt

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 16

Even as most cardiac specialists and private dealers are not in favour of the government’s decision to cap the rate of coronary stents, some private hospitals have hailed the move.

Capitol Hospital welcomed the step taken by the government to cut the prices of life-saving coronary stents by up to 85 per cent by capping them at Rs 7,260 (MRP Rs 7,623) for bare metal and Rs 29,600 (MRP Rs 31,080) for the drug eluting variety. Therefore, the hospital management has revised the packages for angioplasty with immediate effect, aiming to make quality healthcare affordable to all.

Dr CS Pruthi, Chairman and Managing Director, Capitol Hospital, said, “Reducing the price down to less than one-third of the current price is a great relief for the patients. Earlier, the MRP for a drug eluted stent was Rs 1.65 lakh. Consequently, the hospital bill used to be higher, thereby making healthcare beyond the reach of the ordinary man. Now, the government has fixed the price to control unethical practices, but the next major step is to control the overall cost of procedure. After this government initiative, we have extended our healthy heart camp till February 28 in which angioplasty with one medicated stent with procedural charges and hospital stay will be offered at Rs 99,000.”

Dr Harnoor Singh, medical director of the hospital, said, “Price fixation by the government is in the best interest of the patient and the hospital. At the camp, even angiography is available at Rs 6,000.”