For a long, the majority of Indians have been under sustained intimidation with regard to the hefty expenses attached to heart stents and angioplasty. They finally have a thing or two to cheer about it seems. A recent notification issued by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) stated that the prices of heart stents would be brought down by as much as 85%. The prices have been fixed at 29,600 and 7,260 (in rupees) for drug-eluting stents and bare metal stents respectively.

A Stent is a tube that is inserted into narrowed coronary arteries to keep them open and enable the normal flow of blood and oxygen to the heart.

Prior to the NPPAs intervention, stents were available in the range of Rs 40,000 – 1.98 lakhs (drug-eluting) and Rs 30,000 – 75,000 (bare metal). So, it’s a massive drop in price and a matter of huge relief for all the patients seeking stents for survival.

For a lot of patients, heart stents have been a deal too big for quite some time. Inexplicable and unreasonable hidden charges levied by hospitals have made the device far-fetched for most. The good thing now, is that lakhs of people can entertain thoughts of affording this device. However, what remains to be seen is whether the revised pricing will lead to high-quality stents disappearing from the market.

Most financially humble patients would be glad at the mere idea of being able to afford a stent, no matter what the quality. But, there is a contingent of the population who will rather make ways with large, hidden hospital margins instead of settling for stents of compromised quality.

Here at AMRI Hospitals, we understand that consistent distribution of high-quality stents at hugely subsidized rates over a period is the major challenge. Going ahead, we look to thrive by meeting this challenge at hand and even going beyond. We look to add to the glorified existence of patients by providing them with top-notch and cost-effective services without the inclusion of any hidden costs. Our motives make us value our patients as we look to provide the best medical facilities possible to them.