85% fall in medical devices’ sale
An 85 per cent decline has been noted in the use of stents, implants and optical devices from April to June due to Covid-19.
The medical device industry has seen a major drop in use of stents for heart surgeries as elective procedures are not being carried out. Most of the management of heart blockages was through medicines only. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in heart attacks and sudden deaths.
A senior cardiologist, on condition of anonymity, said, “We have no data of the people who have died due to non-Covid reasons during the pandemic. Only the emergency room profile shows that there have been many patients who have come to hospitals too late and died or were brought dead. During lockdown most treatments were by using medicines while postlockdown, there have been a few surgeries.”
Similarly, orthopedic implants have seen 90 per cent dip as patients are not coming forward for knee replacements, which is an elective procedure and has come to a halt.
Only emergency orthopedic treatments are being carried out.
The worst hit industry is the optical sector, which has seen its lowest phase during lockdown. Many ophthalmologists state that they had absolutely no work as people could not come forward due to the risk of infection.
In the optical sector, the biggest problem was in transporting goods from the manufacturing unit to the retailer. With states having lockdown specifications of varying kinds, transporting had become a major challenge to the industry.
A senior government ophthalmologist said, “We can only take up emergency cases and even those are few. Till there is a decline in Covid infection rate, there will not be much scope for elective surgeries.”
Pavan Choudary, chairman and director general of Medical Technology Association of India said, “The medical device industry is facing a challenge and only government intervention can bail it out of the situation. The cost of freight movement has increased by almost seven times. Health cess on imported products is adding to the woes.”