A case for regulation

Overcharging by hospitals has reached alarming proportions

A study by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Authority, reported by this newspaper last week, provided some disturbing information. It examined invoices from 12 major hospitals in Mumbai and found that basic medical supplies for heart patients were dangerously overpriced. The most startling fact was that balloon and guiding catheters, which are used for angioplasties, were sold by hospitals at over five times the landed price. In one example, a balloon catheter, which was imported at a price of Rs 4,220, was bought by a hospital at Rs 7,950, and sold at Rs 22,000. In the process, the hospital made