Heart specialists have suggested monitoring the retail price of the heart valve and pacemaker in Bangladesh. The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) fixed the prices of the artificial heart valve and pacemaker on December 19. The specialists demanded that the government and the private organisations intensify the monitoring of the prices to ensure a fruitful outcome from the decision taken by DGDA.
On December 19, DGDA Director General Major General Md Mustafizur Rahman said, “The prices for the two products have been fixed for the first time in the history of Bangladesh. “From now onwards, all the hospitals of the country will have to sell these devices at the prices that have been fixed.”
He said, “Based on the model and company, the price of the valve has been decreased by Tk4,800 to Tk26,000 while the price the pacemaker decreased by Tk5,000 to Tk 4,07,000.”
Founder of National Heart Foundation Brigadier (Retd) Dr Abdul Malik said, “In the past, the prices of these two products varied from hospital to hospital but now the price will be same everywhere and it would benefit the patients.”
National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Director Prof Afzalur Rahman said, “The family members and relatives of patients were previously being charged more than the actual price of the products but now it will stop and transparency will be ensured.
He said, “The patients will now buy the two products at the same price but the cost of an implant will vary from hospital to hospital.” “This has to be monitored because the price of the pacemaker has been decreased by Tk10,000 to Tk100,000. “The Drug Administration and media can both help in monitoring the prices.”
Mymensingh Medical College Cardiology Department Prof Dr Mirza Nazrul Islam said, “If we can put up charts with the prices of the two products at all hospitals then patients will be benefited. “Otherwise, the patients will be deceived like before.” “The pacemakers range between Tk59,000 to Tk1,000,000 or even Tk2,000,000 and the price of the valve also varies based on its type”, he said.