Heart stent prices drop by 43pc

Much to the relief of heart patients in the country, the government has reduced prices of cardiac stents up to 43 percent, effective from December 16.

The prices have been reduced by Tk 2,000 to Tk 56,000, depending on varieties.

Directorate of Drug Administration issued a circular on Tuesday, saying that prices of 44 types of cardiac stents -- from 27 manufacturing companies -- have been reduced.

The retail prices have been fixed from a minimum of Tk 14,000 to a maximum of Tk 1.40 lakh.

A cardiac stent is a tube-shaped device placed in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, to keep the arteries open in patients suffering from coronary heart disease.

The circular, signed by director general of DGDA Mohammad Yousuf, directed all hospitals concerned to display the new prices of cardiac stents on their noticeboards.

Simultaneously, hospitals providing cardiac treatment will have to take measures not to include coronary stents in their price packages, the DGDA circular said.

According to the DGDA order, a separate cash memo will have to be provided mentioning the name of a coronary stent, its maximum retail price and the name of the manufacturer. The packet of a used coronary stent will have to be provided to the patient.

Bangladesh is dependent on foreign suppliers to meet the demand for cardiac stents, as there is no local producer. Each year, around 45,000 stents are used at different hospitals across the country.

Contacted yesterday, DGDA deputy director and spokesperson Md Nurul Alam said coronary stents are not manufactured in Bangladesh. The government has now fixed the price. If any person or organisation charges more than the prescribed price, strict action will be taken as per law, he added.