PARLIAMENT QUESTION: SUPPLIES OF EQUIPMENTS OF NEURO AND PERIPHERAL INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES

 PARLIAMENT QUESTION: SUPPLIES OF EQUIPMENTS OF NEURO AND PERIPHERAL INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES

There is no shortage of equipment supplies for neuro and peripheral interventional procedures, impacting patient care at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram.

SCTIMST has a rate contract tender to procure items for neuro and peripheral interventional procedures till October 2025. Three key suppliers declined supply of equipment beyond July 2025, citing a requirement for price escalation. In May 2025, the Department of Imaging Sciences and Interventional Radiology (IS&IR) at SCTIMST recommended procuring the items through the Government agency AMRIT Pharmacy. Thus, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with HLL Life Care Limited (HLL) on 10/06/2025 to procure the items through the Government procurement agency, Amrit Pharmacy to avoid impact on patient care, if any.

The current MoU with HLL has prices at par/same with the National Institutions like AIIMS, PGIMER etc and includes a price fall clause, which ensures that SCTIMST benefits from the lowest prices offered by HLL for the same items elsewhere, thereby preventing cost escalations in neuro and interventional radiology procedures.

The MoU with HLL will ensure an uninterrupted supply of equipment and consumables through the Government procurement agency, Amrit Pharmacy. Continuous efforts are also being made to streamline the purchase processes through Government e Marketplace (GeM) as per norms mandated by Government of India. To avoid supply disruptions in the National Premier Institute, flexibility is provided to procure the equipment either through rate contracts, AMRIT pharmacies or the GeM portal.

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.