The Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP) has taken a landmark initiative to bring all imported medical devices under registration and monitor the prices after discovering an abnormal gap in import and selling prices.
To identify the discrepancy in prices as well as remove ambiguities, a committee will be formed with representatives of the related government bodies and the Medical Device Importers Association of Bangladesh. It will submit a report after analyzing all information within a month.
Attending a seminar at the DNCRP head office in Dhaka, its chief AHM Safikuzzaman said: “The selling price of medical devices in our country is much higher from neighbouring countries. Again, there is a huge difference between the highest and lowest prices in the same HS code.”
This seminar was organized to help ensure fair prices for heart pacemakers, valves and other equipment according to the relevant laws.
DNCRP Director Monjur Mohammad Shahriar chaired the seminar where representatives of the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, Directorate General of Health Services, Directorate General of Drug Administration, and the president and general secretary of Medical Device Importers Association of Bangladesh were also present.
“Consumers often complain to the department about buying heart pacemakers, rings and valves and other equipment at high prices. Based on such specific information, on July 23, a raid was conducted at a company selling heart pacemakers and valves named Spandon Limited in Kawran Bazar of the capital. In the drive, the DNCRP team found many issues such as selling devices at a price higher than the maximum retail price set by the authorities, not displaying the price list, keeping expired devices, keeping raw vegetables with devices and medicines in the refrigerator, not using carbon copies of sales receipts in selling products, etc.
In the discussion, association President Gazi AK Shaheen said that since 2017, there is an obligation to have price tags on imported medical devices and all the members of their association are complying with it. Moreover, doctors install or use these devices after verifying their validity.
General Secretary Anwar Hossain said, according to the policy made in 2017, medical devices cannot be marketed without registration and price. Currently, 95% of the medical devices required in our country are imported.
“Registration of all medical devices has not been possible in the short term, but it is ongoing. Also as per the policy expired products should be stored outside the main store by writing 'Not for Sale' in red ink.”
The representative of the Tariff Commission said that by analyzing the data of the last few months, they have found a wide difference between the highest and lowest prices of imported medical devices.