KGMU makes prior nod mandatory for imported implants for poor patients

Indian-made alternatives should be used where medically suitable; imported implants allowed only with written clearance from senior authorities, says a Sep 10 order issued by the office of CMS, Gandhi Memorial and Associated Hospitals

King George’s Medical University (KGMU) has made it mandatory for faculty members to obtain prior written approval before using imported or highly expensive medical implants for poor and underprivileged patients, including beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).

KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh said the move was not aimed at compromising the quality of treatment, but at ensuring that public funds are not spent on costly imported implants when India-made products are available. (For Representation)

An order issued on September 10 by the office of chief medical superintendent, Gandhi Memorial and Associated Hospitals, Dr BK Ojha, directed the Hospital Revolving Fund (HRF) to provide high-quality and affordable Indian-made implants to such patients wherever suitable alternatives are available.

The order makes it clear that an imported implant cannot be issued routinely to a poor or PMJAY patient. If the treating team considers an imported implant medically necessary, the concerned faculty member or surgeon will have to obtain written approval from the CMS, the medical superintendent or the deputy medical superintendent before it is issued through the HRF.

The administration has also warned that issuing an imported or excessively expensive implant without approval would be treated as a financial irregularity.

“High-quality implants are being made in India and are at par with imported implants,” Singh said, adding that KGMU was also seeking to support the “Make in India” initiative.

He said patients who pay for treatment themselves are also informed about the availability and quality of Indian-made implants before a decision is taken. For patients treated through government-funded schemes, the university wanted to avoid unnecessary expenditure on expensive imported products when suitable alternatives were available, Singh added.

The order does not amount to an outright ban on imported implants. Instead, it creates an approval mechanism for cases in which the treating team considers an imported product medically necessary.

The move has nevertheless prompted questions among some patients and attendants over whether patients covered by government schemes could have fewer implant choices than those paying themselves. KGMU, however, maintains that the policy is based on the availability of comparable Indian-made products and the need to ensure prudent use of government funds.

The medical university has also increasingly adopted Indian-made medical technology. KGMU, for instance, has procured the indigenous SSI Mantra robotic surgical system, reflecting the wider use of domestically manufactured medical technology at the institution.