Hyderabad: After the capping of stent prices, there is a move to get orthopaedic implants too under the price control regimen. These implants are expensive, and many doctors allegedly perform implants even if not needed, according to an alliance for ethical doctors.
This alliance has given a representation to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority detailing instances of unscrupulous implant manufacturers and their connivance with doctors and hospitals.
Dr Arun Mitra, a member of the alliance, said, “The biggest implant in the orthopaedic sector is the knee implant, whose price ranges from Rs 80,000 to Rs 4 lakh. These are not affordable to many and only those who can pay or have insurance are opting for it.” The alliance has listed out the seller’s cost, which includes import and manufacturer’s cost, wholesalers and retailers’ commission, which ranges from 10 to 20 per cent. This complete bill is borne by the patient.
The implants do not have any labels or MRP, so their real price is not known to the patient. It depends completely on the discretion of the doctor. A senior orthopaedic surgeon said, “There are doctors who do 25 surgeries in a day and offer them discounts. These are wrong practices. Multiple operations in a day can lead to complications in some patients.”
He said surgeries had to be performed on patients who were in a lot of pain, or were unable to walk or where medications are not found to work. “These guidelines have to be followed before opting for a replacement,” he said.
The alliance wants the government to act, like they did in the case of stent implants, bring down the prices and make them affordable.
Costly devices
- Orthopaedic devices market is worth Rs 2,500 crore and is expected to grow 20% in the next decade.
- The expected market by 2030 is Rs 16,000 crore globally.
- There are implants for hip, knee and spine.
- A variety of drillers are required to fit the implant. These are costly and billed to the patient.
