Mundhe told NDTV’s Shiv Aroor that the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration had flagged a staggering 2,800 per cent price gap between what hospitals actually pay for IV sets and the maximum retail price printed on the packaging. The FDA’s audit, based on data from hospitals in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, revealed the gap is not explainable and is not passed on to patients.
Its analysis showed that a single IV set could be procured for as little as ₹11 while the MRP stands at ₹325, a markup that translates to 2,800 per cent. Syringes and nebulisers were also flagged, though the latter’s numbers were slightly lower.
Because the FDA can only act when a product’s selling price exceeds its MRP, it has no authority to penalise manufacturers or distributors if the price stays within the legal ceiling. Thus, the agency has set its sights on the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority for further scrutiny.
NPPA will convene consultations to decide whether these consumables should be brought under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, which currently governs essential medicines but not items like IV sets. If added, hospitals would face tighter price caps and patients might see lower bills.
One 55‑year‑old woman in Mumbai, who was admitted for a routine surgery last month, said the cost of consumables was a hidden burden that pushed her family into debt. Her story underscores the urgency of the regulator’s call.
Roughly three quarters of the hospitals that submitted data reported a similar pattern, and the FDA has already issued show‑cause notices to three actors for related advertising violations, signalling a broader enforcement push. NPPA is expected to release its recommendations by the end of October, after which the state government will move to implement any price controls.