FIR against 37 hospitals for reusing medical devices meant for single use

Mumbai: Shocked by the reuse of one time use medical devices and overcharging by many hospitals on the same, the Maharashtra Government has announced strong measures to curtail this practice. Recently, complaints have been filed against 37 hospitals across the state by Maharashtra government for reusing single-use medical devices and overcharging patients.

Minister for consumer protection, Maharashtra Govt. Mr. Girish Bapat made an announcement in the legislative council on Tuesday that government was working on ways to refund patients who were unfairly charged for reused devices.

In order to stop such incidents of overcharging & reuse of devices by hospitals, govt. is planning to develop a web portal that will record every medical device’s journey right from its purchase to use and reuse.

Replying to a query by Congress MLC Satej Patil during question hour, Bapat said “The web portal will keep a track of each medical device from the moment it is purchased, the medical institute it is sold to, and its use.”

He also added that discussions with the Medical Council of India, the Drug Council of India and secretary of the public health department on the issue were in the final stages.

The minister assured Patil that the government would get information about such cases and refund those patients when he pointed out that a few hospitals have already reused implant devices and cheated patients reports TOI.

The minister announced the action after a special investigation report submitted by the state FDA in May-June that stated that many private hospitals were taking premium charges from patients for reused cardiac catheters and guide wires meant for single use.

In April, the state FDA had found three city hospitals guilty of not only reusing medical devices meant for single use, but also charging multiple patients for the same. Fortis Hospital in Mulund, Hiranandani Hospital in Vashi, which is managed by the Fortis group, and BSES Hospital in Andheri were later issued show-cause notices for violating the Drug and Cosmetics Act.

Read also: 3 top hospitals held guilty of reusing Angio Balloon Catheters