Health groups on Monday called upon the Government to end the hospital-doctor-pharma firms’ nexus causing hefty increase in prices of stents at the cost of patients as revealed by the recent data published by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on its website.

Stents which are small expandable tubes used to treat narrowed or weakened arteries in the body offers an attractive option in treating heart disease. As they have gained increasing acceptance in India, health activists have been demanding check on their prices.

“We have consistently highlighted the unconscionable prices that patients across the country are paying for stents that are pushing patients and their families into increasing indebtedness or leaving them without life-saving treatment.”

“The pricing data which was submitted by the industry to the NPPA has made it clear beyond doubt,” said Dr Mira Shiva of the All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN).

The data indicates that by the time the patient gets the stent, the increase from the original cost of the stent is often in the range of 1,000-2,000 per cent, with hospitals enjoying unimaginably high trade margins.

“With the evidence of over-pricing now crystal clear, the government must act immediately to control the prices of these life saving devices as envisaged under the constitution” advocate Birender Sangwan said at a press conference here.

The activists also demanded that the price fixation of coronary stents should be limited to two categories - Bare Metal Stents and Drug Eluting Stents with the ceiling prices to be fixed on the basis of the CGHS reimbursement rates.

Malini Aisola of AIDAN alleged that there were also attempts, primarily by foreign companies and cardiologists acting on their behalf, to exclude from price control the highest priced stents, which also happen to dominate the market.

Echoing similar views Dr Arun Mitra and Dr GS Grewal of the Alliance Of Doctors For Ethical Healthcare (ADEH) stressed upon probe into medical establishments for corrupt practices and professional misconduct of office bearers of the Cardiological Society of India indulging in “unethical lobbying”.

Dr Dinesh Abrol from the National Working Group on Patent laws termed as ‘a ploy, in conspiracy with the hospitals by making unsubstantiated claims of superiority of the newer model stents such as bioreabsorbable stents.