Rs 70 crore Non-payment to Stent Distributors: No stent supply in govt hospitals from March 1

Thiruvananthapuram: Citing severe apathy in the behavior of the state government hospitals towards the payment of the due amount, Stent and pacemaker distributors have now announced the step to stop the supply of the stents and pacemakers to all government hospitals in the state from March 1, 2018.

A recent report in TOI, the total money that has to be paid to distributors is about Rs 70 crore, of which Rs 25 crore alone is the amount due from the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.

As per the report, the decision was taken by the distributors since the state government failed to clear the amount overdue to distributors of stents and pacemakers. The decision will be informed to the state government and all hospital heads through a letter by the general body meeting of chamber of distributors of medical implants and disposables adds the daily

The decision will affect the functioning of all the cath labs in the college hospitals, general hospitals and district hospitals in the state.

Confirming about the decision, D Santhi Kumar, president of Chamber of Distributors of Medical Implants and Disposables told TOI, “We are forced to stop the supply since the promise given by the health department and hospitals have not been fulfilled.”

Distributors had met with health minister KK Shailaja once regarding the matter and had several talks with hospital authorities but the situation did not change.It is reported that in the month a January 2018, a meeting was held with the distributors where additional chief secretary Rajeev Sadanandan has promised to clear the arrears in a phased manner.

Speaking with TOI, the supplier of pacemakers to cath labs at medical college hospitals, Rajesh Raghavan said, “Since the arrears increased, we stopped the supply to Thiruvananthapuram medical college in December 2017. However, supply resumed following the assurance given to us (of clearing the arrears). Till date, hospital authorities have not made a move to clear the arrears.”

Adding that distributors have decided not to stop their supply to Kozhikode medical college hospital due to its prompt payment Kumar said, “If this hospital can provide payment on time, why cannot others follow suit? This shows the apathy of hospital authorities.”