A fresh PIL will be filed by the Delhi-based advocate Birender Sangwan at Delhi High Court (HC) on January 27, 2018 if the government fails in framing a policy for rationalising the cost of angioplasty procedures in hospitals across the country.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar of Delhi HC had earlier directed the union health ministry to control the rate of operation charges, doctors visiting charges, nursing charges and to draft a policy within four months for controlling the rates of all these services.

January 26, 2018 was the deadline stipulated by the Delhi HC towards framing a policy of rationalising the cost of angioplasty procedures in the hospitals.

The patients are charged between Rs. 2.16 lakh to Rs. 2.39 lakh as angioplasty package which is a huge cost despite the fact that government through a notification on February 14, 2017 had fixed ceiling prices of cardiac stents with bare metal stents cost being brought down to Rs. 7,260 from Rs. 45,000 and that of drug eluting stents at Rs. 29,600.

Reports of hospital bills where patients were overcharged revealed that either stent price is not mentioned in the medical bill or billing is made in the name of angioplasty charges or cath lab charges and also brand name of the stents and company’s name is not mentioned with the intention of profiteering. (Excerpts from pharmabitz)