The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has revised the prices of cardiac stents, commonly known as heart rings, used in the treatment of heart disease.
The revised price list was published in a notification signed by DGDA Director General (Additional Secretary) Md Alamgir Hossain on Monday.
According to the notification, the new prices have been fixed based on the recommendations of a committee formed under the Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The updated list shows that the prices of several widely used stents have been reduced by Tk3,000 to Tk5,000. For example, some stents previously priced at Tk60,000 will now be sold at Tk57,000. Likewise, stents that were priced at Tk55,000 and Tk53,500 will now cost Tk52,000 and Tk50,000, respectively.
The largest price reduction was applied to the Silin Covered Stent manufactured by US-based Insitu Technologies Inc, with its maximum retail price reduced from Tk109,800 to Tk62,000.
The revised list includes stents imported by various companies, including Advanced Meditech, Asia Pacific Medics Limited and Alliance Medicare. The products are manufactured in countries including Poland, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and the United States.
The DGDA has instructed all hospitals to display the updated stent price list prominently on notice boards to ensure public awareness.
Hospitals and healthcare providers have also been directed to sell stents according to the approved maximum retail price (MRP) and not include the cost of stents in treatment packages.
The notification further states that a separate cash memo must be issued for every stent sale, clearly mentioning the stent name, maximum retail price and manufacturer.
In addition, hospitals are required to provide patients with the packaging of the stent used during treatment.
The DGDA urged all hospitals providing cardiac care services to strictly comply with the approved pricing structure and related guidelines.