NEW DELHI — A study has found large mark-ups on medicines and medical supplies at some of India’s private hospitals, with patients in some cases paying several times the actual cost of the products.
The study by the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan’s Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatment examined five major private hospital chains. It found that paracetamol costing ₹32.80 was billed at as much as ₹408. Doxycycline, an antibiotic costing ₹118.50, was charged at up to ₹920, while colistimethate sodium costing ₹715 was billed at as much as ₹5,385.
The study also found significant differences in the prices of medical supplies. An oxygen mask costing ₹55 was reportedly charged at between ₹310 and ₹650, while a needle costing 63 paise was billed at ₹3.60 to ₹4.40. Mark-ups of 200% to 400% were reported for items such as syringes and IV sets.
The report also highlighted high hospital charges. Average charges per bed per day were reported at around ₹60,000 to ₹78,000 during 2024–25, with the figure reaching ₹78,000 in 2025–26. The findings come amid wider scrutiny of private healthcare costs and calls for greater transparency and regulation of hospital pricing in India.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.