Tukharam Munde’s next focus: ‘Hospitals pay Rs 11 for IV set, you pay Rs 325’

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner and IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe has turned his attention to the prices of medical consumables used in hospitals. Mundhe recently attracted attention for the FDA’s hygiene crackdown on restaurants in Mumbai. He has now highlighted concerns over the cost of products that hospitals use during patient treatment. In a post on X, Mundhe said hospital bills can include expensive medical items whose actual purchase costs patients cannot easily verify. He said patients often cannot determine whether hospitals charge prices based on the actual cost of a product or add large markups. Mundhe described this information gap as a public health concern. He also said patients have limited options to compare prices while receiving treatment. His comments indicate that the Maharashtra FDA could focus greater attention on pricing practices involving medicines, medical devices and hospital consumables.

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IV Sets Show Large Price Difference

Mundhe recently shared figures that highlight the difference between the purchase price and MRP of several hospital consumables. According to the figures he cited, hospitals purchase an IV set for around Rs 11.05, while the product carries an MRP of Rs 325. Mundhe calculated the difference as a margin of about 2,841 per cent. He also cited nebulizer and oxygen mask products as examples. Hospitals purchase these products for around Rs 40 to Rs 45, while their MRPs range from Rs 650 to Rs 715, according to Mundhe. He estimated margins of roughly 1,300 to 1,600 per cent for these products. Mundhe also mentioned disposable items such as masks, catheters and IV cannulas. He cited purchase prices of Rs 197, Rs 29 and Rs 22, respectively, compared with MRPs of Rs 500, Rs 300 and Rs 424. These figures form the basis of his concerns over hospital consumable pricing.

Mundhe said healthcare pricing remains a major concern, particularly for essential medicines and hospital consumables. He explained that authorities regulate some essential medicines mainly through MRP declarations, while they do not directly control every price. He identified hospital consumables as another major challenge because their purchase prices can differ significantly from their MRPs. After examining the issue, Mundhe submitted a policy proposal to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which works under the Department of Pharmaceuticals. He asked the authority to consider stronger regulation of primary medical devices and consumables used inside hospitals. Mundhe proposed bringing these products under Section 4 of the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), 2013, which operates under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

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Maharashtra FDA Conducts Thousands of Inspections

Maharashtra FDA has also intensified inspections of pharmaceutical companies, according to figures Mundhe shared. He said the department conducted 2,485 inspections during the past three months. The FDA also suspended 2,075 licences and cancelled 394 licences during this period, according to Mundhe. The inspections form part of the department’s regulatory work to check compliance among pharmaceutical businesses. The FDA monitors companies and products under applicable drug and healthcare regulations in Maharashtra. Mundhe has now connected this regulatory work with concerns over the prices of medical consumables used during hospital treatment. His statements suggest that the department wants to examine healthcare-related issues beyond food safety and hygiene. However, the central government and relevant regulatory authorities would need to take further steps before changing national price-control rules.

Mundhe also highlighted the difficulties patients face when hospitals use medical consumables during treatment. Patients generally cannot treat these products like ordinary retail purchases because doctors and hospitals often need them as part of medical procedures. Patients may have little opportunity to compare prices, choose another product or question the MRP while receiving urgent or ongoing care. Mundhe said manufacturers and distributors can set MRPs earlier in the supply chain, creating a significant difference between the MRP and the actual trade price. As a result, patients who ultimately pay the hospital bill may have limited information about the real cost of individual consumables. Mundhe has therefore called for greater transparency in the pricing of such products. His proposal to the NPPA could lead to further discussion about regulating hospital consumables under existing price-control provisions.

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