Centre tightens rules on medical equipment to curb costs, ensure better healthcare services

Patients in government hospitals are set to benefit from a major overhaul in the procurement and maintenance of medical equipment, with the Centre rolling out new rules designed to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.

For years, patients have faced long delays whenever essential machines broke down, as hospitals had to repeatedly approach companies for spare parts and consumables. Each request involved fresh quotations and lengthy approvals, often leaving critical machines idle and forcing patients to turn to expensive private laboratories. The fresh guidelines seek to end this cycle by fixing prices for consumables such as cartridges and test kits in advance, while also binding companies to repair equipment within a defined time frame.

A key feature of the new policy is the insistence on transparency. Companies bidding for equipment contracts will now have to submit a complete list of consumables and spare parts with fixed rates, preventing arbitrary pricing and cutting procurement delays.

Government data shows that machines worth crores often remain unused due to repair bottlenecks—a gap the new timelines are expected to close.

The rules also overhaul warranty and maintenance obligations. All machines costing up to Rs 5 lakh will carry a minimum one-year warranty, while equipment expected to last between two and 10 years will come with a two-year warranty and a compulsory comprehensive maintenance contract. For machines with a life span exceeding a decade, suppliers must provide a two-year warranty followed by an eight-year maintenance agreement.

Officials say this clarity will hold manufacturers accountable for the long-term upkeep of equipment, ensuring fewer service interruptions.

Consumables, a major cost factor for patients, are also under tighter regulation. Proprietary consumables—those available only from the original manufacturer—will have fixed prices valid for ten years, protecting hospitals from sudden hikes. Non-proprietary items available in the open market, on the other hand, can be purchased directly without delays.