MUMBAI: Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a scathing critique of private hospitals in the state for exploiting patients through exorbitant markups on essential medical supplies. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe disclosed eye-catching figures during a press interaction, revealing the vast gulf between what hospitals actually pay for medical goods and the maximum retail prices displayed on packaging.
According to Mundhe, one private hospital purchased an IV infusion set for just ₹11.05, yet the same product carried an MRP of ₹325 on its label — representing a mind-boggling markup of approximately 2,841 per cent. Similar patterns were observed across other critical medical items. A syringe bought at ₹6.75 bore an MRP of ₹57.20, while a catheter procured for ₹29.41 was marked up to ₹310 at retail.
These revelations have reignited long-standing concerns about opaque pricing practices in India's private healthcare sector, where patients often have little visibility into the actual costs of consumables used during treatment. The gap between purchase price and MRP means hospitals can retain enormous margins on items that are routinely used in every ward and procedure.
Mundhe stressed that patients must be empowered with price transparency. "A patient should have the right to know and verify the cost of every item used during their treatment," he said, emphasizing that current billing practices offer virtually no such recourse.
The FDA commissioner's comments come at a time when Maharashtra, home to some of the country's most expensive private healthcare facilities, faces increasing scrutiny over medical affordability. Consumer rights groups have long argued that the absence of mandatory price disclosure at the point of care enables systematic overcharging, particularly in urban private hospitals serving patients from middle-income backgrounds.
Health analysts note that while MRPs on medical devices are fixed by manufacturers, the lack of regulation on how much above purchase price hospitals can bill patients creates an uneven playing field. Unlike drugs, which fall under the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's price controls, many medical consumables remain outside strict pricing oversight.
The FDA has not yet announced formal action or penalties but indicated that exploratory discussions with hospital associations are underway. Patients and advocacy groups are now calling for mandatory display of item-wise pricing at the time of discharge and stricter enforcement mechanisms.
