Industry Associations Demand Separate Bill For Medical Devices

New Delhi, Aug 4 (KNN) Medical device industry in a letter to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya have urged him to recall the draft New Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023, which is expected to be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament.

The Medical device makers, patient interest groups and hospitals are urging the government to bring in a separate Bill for medical devices distinct from drugs.

The lobby groups pleaded that if the Bill is passed, the medical devices manufacturing sector would be pushed into a supply chain crisis and would effectively lose its ability to meet domestic demand, according to a report in the business standard.

The letter to the minister, dated August 2, was signed by the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, the umbrella body for domestic medical devices makers; Association of Diagnostics Manufacturers of India; association for in-vitro diagnostics industry; Association of Healthcare Providers (India), and many more.

As per reports, the association have requested for a consultation meeting with a fresh committee under the chairmanship of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and key stakeholders before the draft Bill is finalised and tabled.

In December 2019, NITI Aayog had proposed to bring all medical devices under one regulatory regime in a phased manner and have a separate Medical Devices Administration with four divisions.  (KNN Bureau)