Massive Price Inflation: Private Hospitals Selling ₹86 Medicines for ₹4,528, Reveals Inspection

BENGALURU: A shocking revelation regarding the exorbitant pricing of essential medical supplies in Karnataka’s private healthcare sector has surfaced during a recent government audit. Inspections conducted by the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department uncovered that critical drugs and equipment used to treat severe illnesses, including cancer, are being sold at markups of up to 5,000% above their landing cost. In one glaring instance highlighted by health authorities, a drug with an original landing cost of ₹86 was sold to a patient for ₹4,528.

Addressing a press conference, Health Minister U.T. Khader confirmed the massive disparity between the actual cost of procuring these medicines and the final price charged to patients in private hospitals and hospital-affiliated pharmacies. Reports showed extreme variations, with some lifesaving drugs marked up several thousand per cent above their procurement price.

In response to these findings, the state government has urged the Union Government to enact strict legislation requiring all hospitals and pharmacies to publicly display both the landing cost and the maximum retail price (MRP) for each medicine. Since drug price control falls primarily under central jurisdiction, Minister Khader stated that the Karnataka government has written to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to intervene and establish pricing regulations to protect patients from excessive medical billing. (eom)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India