17 September,2026 08:12 AM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash Singh
The hospital sets the price of medical consumables. REPRESENTATION PIC/ISTOCK
When a patient is admitted to a private hospital, the cost of an IV set, syringe, catheter or nebuliser mask is usually one of the least questioned components of the final bill. Unlike medicines, which patients can sometimes compare across pharmacies, consumables used during hospitalisation are largely selected and billed by the healthcare facility.
A Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) survey has now highlighted the extent of the price variation in such commonly used medical items, prompting FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe to seek a review of the pricing mechanism from the Centre.
[popcorn number="Rs 11.05" desc="Cost of IV infusion set to hospital" class="Default"]
The survey compared procurement prices paid by private hospitals with the printed MRP or the amount charged to patients for surgical consumables used in inpatient departments. One IV infusion set, purchased for Rs 11.05, was found to have been billed at Rs 325 - a difference of nearly 29 times the procurement cost. A 10-ml syringe purchased for Rs 6.75 was priced at Rs 57.20, while an adult nebuliser mask kit bought fo Rs 45 carried a price of Rs 652. A catheter procured at Rs 29.41 had an MRP of Rs 310.
[popcorn number="Rs 325" desc="Amount charged by hospital for IV infusion set" class="Default"]
The findings are significant because these are not optional purchases for a patient undergoing inpatient treatment. Once a procedure or treatment begins, patients and their families generally have limited scope to negotiate over which consumable is used or what price is charged. The FDA's intervention could draw greater attention and increase transparency.
In a communication to the Department of Pharmaceuticals and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Mundhe sought examination of the price variations and suggested regulatory measures, including consideration of trade-margin controls and bringing commonly used medical devices under a structured price-monitoring mechanism.
The survey also raises questions for regulators and hospitals about whether patients should receive clearer information on the procurement price, MRP, and billed amount for commonly used medical consumables.
