NPPA takes cognisance of ‘leaked’ documents saying Dr Ashok Seth bought shares from a Singapore company that supplied stents to the hospital chain.
New Delhi: The ‘Paradise Papers’ have attracted the scrutiny of an unlikely regulator — the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The NPPA has taken cognisance of the ‘leaked’ documents saying that Chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Dr Ashok Seth, bought shares from a Singapore-based company that also supplied coronary stents to the hospital chain.
The shares were reportedly encashed later by Seth and the coronary stents were used at the hospital, sparking allegations of a possible conflict of interest.
The NPPA is now preparing to write to the company, Biosensors International Group Ltd, seeking all details of the stents it is supplying to India.
“We will be writing to this company enquiring about its stents and the pricing involved as is the norm for all other coronary stent manufacturers. So far, it (the company) is not in our database of stent manufacturers. This company has not submitted any data to us. So there is a need to seek all these details,” NPPA chairman Bhupendra Singh told ThePrint.
While the NPPA does not have any control over hospitals, it is the regulator for all pharmaceutical products and medical devices. It has put out a detailed proforma that every cardiac stent manufacturer has to submit to NPPA.
The drug price regulator recently made headlines with its orders capping the price of cardiac stents and knee implants in a bid to check prohibitive margins.
While every major coronary stent manufacturer supplying to India figures in the NPPA list, there is no record for Biosensors. Neither has it submitted the data it is required to under NPPA guidelines. It also does not appear to have an India office unlike most other stent manufacturers.
A spokesperson from Dr Ashok Seth’s office at Fortis told ThePrint that the hospital had used no more than seven coronary stents imported from Biosensors. The last stent from the company to be used in a coronary procedure at the hospital was in 2013.
Dr Nandakishore Dukkipati, a member of the Medical Council of India, said that in case the council receives any complaint in this regard, it will be taken up with the ethics committee.
Meanwhile, the Fortis Group stood by its Chairman.
“Dr Ashok Seth is an eminent cardiologist and a valuable member of Fortis organisation. We believe that he has always acted in the best interest of the patients and has practised in accordance with the law and commonly accepted medical guidelines,” a spokesperson of Fortis Healthcare told ThePrint. “We do not see a conflict of interest or lack of ethics as he neither promoted the stents nor influenced any decision process regarding purchase of such stents.”
Rajiv Seth, founder of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, also said that there was not much to prove unethical conduct on the part of Seth.
“If he was just promoting the stents, he has done nothing wrong. It would be unethical if he was actively promoting these products in his medical profession. But if he has made some money out of buying some shares in a company, I don’t think it is unethical,” he said.
Fortis is a good name in hospital line,medical service providing facility..undoubtedly it has no match with other hospital in terms of neat and clean hospital floor and hospital wall.it has good wall of glasses too.but,one thing is clear ,it is not for the poor of india ,it is for the high class society of india..the expenditure can be born by only 2 percent of indian ,not by 98% of india..However the Hospital has full of patients..some of them ,from elite group too..mostly from middle class and below middle class..one cases pertaining to Fortis Hospital unsatisfies me,still today..
1)A mother was suffering from dengue few days ago..she had to bear a baby.she bore a baby after c-cut..after 2 days she was once again operated saying she had blood clotting inside stomach..it costed me four lakhs fifty thousands indian rupees(4.50 lakhs) for 6 to 7 days.it was too much for me,however I deposited my four to five yrs savings.still I am very happy,my 4-5 yrs hard works pay something.
2)but most unsatisfaction is that,not a single doctor was saying what was going on..I was always pressurised to deposit money at the counter..it was a routine pressure.neither my relatives nor my guardians were asked to visit patients ,were permitted to ask pertaining to disease or operation related problem..in the name of security,infection ,treatment..I was deceived.I am not satisfied with the way It operated my patient,nor with way it talked to my relatives,nor with way it satisfied,cured my patient..However I am happy ,I was looted ,bargained,tortured(especially for A +ve blood) for saving a mother of two small kids..Thank you..Fortis …
U will be always at my heart…
I am happy..
Good
Sir,Fortis hospital is one of dirtiest hospitals which are making money days and nights only by making his customers fool and making customers unsatisfied.I have all evidence against this hospital..sooner or later I will prove my innocency against this hospital..
1)A mother who is suffering from Dengue,goes for treatment and bears a baby…guess how much money is charged for this…Gross(4,50000 INR)..Four lakh fifty thousands…
Despite above all,no doctor is openly saying what is happening or going on..neither relatives nor my guardian were allowed to see the mother in the name of treatment or infection.. very few doctors are good,not all of them are upto mark..no one is supportive there except every one is busy in making hospitals neat and clean,busy in putting tight belt and tie..what This hospital charged is totally illogical ,unrealistic..
2)the mother was opertated twice ….once when she bears a baby and again when doctor says blood is clotting inside….this hospital has changed the service of humanity into a good business….
God save you Fortis…but remember you have exploited hard earned money of The poor …
God Save you…we will soon meet in heaven….