Indian manufacturers of medical devices have written to the Central government urging it to urgently reconsider approval grants for the import of refurbished and reconditioned medical devices, stating that the move raises concerns for India’s healthcare ecosystem, which has invested years in indigenous research, engineering and manufacturing to build world-class technologies under the “Make in India” vision.
“Despite the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation’s clear ban on the import of refurbished medical equipment, and with the matter currently sub judice before the courts, such approvals risk undermining regulatory integrity and creating an uneven playing field for domestic innovators,” stakeholders said in a statement.
They added that the practice weakens the domestic medical device industry and undermines the work of innovators.
“While Indian manufacturers create cutting-edge, globally competitive devices, the entry of old, depreciated foreign machines threatens to flood the market with technology that has already lived its commercial life elsewhere. India cannot afford to become a dumping ground for medical electronic waste under the guise of refurbished equipment,” Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator, Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical Devices (AiMeD), said.
