Mundhe marks 2,841% surcharge on hospital consumables, seeks NPPA review | Today’s news

Mundhe said the absence of strict legal price caps under DPCO 2013 allowed “unchecked profits at the trade level” among equipment manufacturers and distributors. “Unlike scheduled drugs under the Medicines (Prices Control) Ordinance, 2013, many categories of medical devices fall outside the strict statutory price controls, allowing uncontrolled pricing practices to persist,” he wrote, calling for margin rationalization, inter-agency review and guidelines to regulate the allowable difference between trade acquisition costs and declared MRPs.

“This is not just a pricing issue, it is a patient protection issue,” Mundhe told Mint over the phone, confirming his communication. “There is a significant asymmetry of information in healthcare, where patients often cannot judge whether the price charged is reasonable. When a product purchased at a low commercial price carries an exceptionally high MRP, the financial burden is ultimately borne by the patient.”

Private hospitals say a balanced, evidence-based regulatory approach is key.