The Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) on Friday asked the government to withdraw the official memorandum (OM) permitting the import of pre-owned medical devices and charged industry body FICCI of siding with MNCs and working against the interest of domestic manufacturers.
In a statement, the medical devices industry body attacked the FICCI's Medical Devices Division, alleging that the body has joined hands with forces inimical to the Make in India drive of PM Narendra Modi. When contacted, FICCI Medical Devices Committee in a statement said, "FICCI dismisses the baseless allegations made by AiMeD against a 95-plus-year-old reputed organisation, the oldest apex national chamber of commerce and industry.”
Irresponsible statements are not only baseless and filled with malice but also hinder the Government of India's robust mechanism of making the right policy decision in the country’s best interests, it said. FICCI Medical Devices Committee has always maintained a neutral and healthy balance of ideas to ensure that quality and advanced healthcare products become available to the poorest of the poor, it said.
AiMeD alleged that FICCI is working against the interest of domestic manufacturers. Through a notification issued on June 19 this year, the government decided to allow the import of "high-end and high-value” used medical equipment other than critical care medical equipment, AiMeD stated. "Nothing could have been worse than what FICCI Medical Devices Division is doing at the behest of MNCs lobby.
Much to our dismay and disappointment, FICCI Medical Devices Division is working against the interest of domestic medical devices manufacturers,” AiMeD Forum Coordinator Rajiv Nath said in a statement. It's Un-make in India' campaign amounts to bulldozing the Make in India dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added. AiMeD is an umbrella association of Indian manufacturers of medical devices including consumables, disposables, equipment, instruments, electronics, diagnostics and implants.
"The decision to permit the import of pre-owned medical devices is in contravention to India's recently launched National Medical Device Policy-2023 that seeks to make our country not only Atma Nirbhar in medical devices but also the global leader,” Nath said. The OM is a regressive step that has confused the investors who have been putting up manufacturing capacity in the last few years in response to PM Modi's call for self-reliance, he added.
Expressing concern over how the vested interests under the patronage of an organisation like FICCI Medical Devices Division are being encouraged to break the spine of domestic players, Nath said, "MSMEs are working day in and day out to make medical devices and equipment in India, thereby not only to strengthen the clarion call of Make in India given by PM Modi but to make healthcare affordable for all.” As per its website, AiMeD has a membership of over 300 manufacturers and additionally of over 200 associate members representing the interest of over 1,200 manufacturers.
Allowing the import of pre-owned medical devices smacks of a larger conspiracy, Nath said. He said it has been brought to finish the domestic medical device industry. "The quality and affordability of healthcare is going to be a sure shot casualty for which FICCI Medical Devices Division has conspired with their MNC friends,” Nath said.
Rejecting the charges, FICCI Medical Devices Committee mentioned, "The government has an inter-ministerial committee to decide that the list of high-end and high-value equipment not manufactured in the country under stringent quality restrictions should be allowed to be imported to increase access to tier II and tier III cities.”
The imported refurbished equipment should be of very high quality providing precise diagnosis and treatment at affordable costs in India, FICCI said. FICCI stated that the industry body has been the flagbearer of the Government’s Make in India vision and its actions speak for itself.
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