The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has issued an urgent letter instructing hospitals across Bangladesh to implement the newly revised prices of coronary stents used in heart treatment. The directive, sent on Tuesday, includes four mandatory instructions for hospitals, emphasizing that the new maximum retail prices (MRP) must be displayed publicly and strictly followed in all sales.

According to the DGDA, the price revision was made under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and based on recommendations from the expert advisory committee. The new prices were determined considering taxes, VAT, commissions, and reasonable profit margins for importers. The final approval came after the committee’s seventh meeting on May 13, which reviewed appeals from several importing firms.

The DGDA stated that prices for imported stents now range from Tk 1,000 to Tk 47,800, with significant reductions for specific models such as the “Silin Covered Stent” and “Magma Rapamycin” stents. The directive follows earlier complaints that some hospitals continued selling stents at old rates despite a February 25 notification reducing prices by 5–19 percent.