- Imported heart disease, orthopedic, eye, cancer equipment
- Dollar crisis has been going on for seven months
- Bank approves 1 or 2 LCs against 10 LCs.
- Price of all equipment prices almost double
Dollar crisis affected medical sector greatly in Bangladesh. Hospitals have to rely on imports from abroad for essential medical equipment in the country. Therefore, the dollar crisis is having a negative impact on the market of these life-saving medical devices. There is a huge shortage of imported medical equipment. As a result, the price increases several times. 90 percent of these products have to be imported from abroad.
In particular, almost 100 percent of equipment for heart disease, orthopedic, eye, cancer, general surgery, neurological disease treatment and surgery needs to be imported. Presently, the existing dollar crisis is hampering importation. Due to the lack of equipment, the number of major surgeries in the country's hospitals is also on the way to decrease, concerned expressed.
The biggest concern is heart surgery. Due to the dollar crisis, it has become quite difficult to open LCs (letters of credit) with banks for importing medical equipment.
According to Bangladesh Medical Equipment Importers and Suppliers Association (BMEISA), country requires at least 10 thousand crore of medical equipment and medical devices annually. About 90 percent of this has to be imported. Apart from heart disease treatment, important and complex surgery equipment like neuro surgery, kidney surgery, orthopedic surgery also have to be brought from abroad regularly.
Besides, Bangladesh is also dependent on imports for important medical equipment including disease control and disinfection equipment.
Among the non-communicable diseases in the country, heart patients account for the highest number of deaths. 100% of the equipment used in the treatment of heart disease in the hospitals of Bangladesh has to be imported. These devices and equipment include heart rings, valves, pace makers, oxygenators. There are no accurate statistics on the number of surgical heart devices implanted in Bangladesh every day. However, an analysis of data from the Directorate of Drug Administration, National Heart Institute and Hospital and Bangladesh Medical Equipment Importers and Suppliers Association (BMEISA) showed that four institutions import heart disease treatment equipment in the country.
Importers are unable to open LCs (letters of credit) on time due to lack of dollars. As a result, they are not able to supply pacemakers to the hospitals in proportion to the demand. Heart patients are in danger in this situation. According to the importers, pacemakers are imported from three companies based in the United States and one based in Germany. Dollar problem started in the country from November 2022. Sometimes it is normal for a few days, but the crisis has been going on for seven months. Earlier LC could be opened by giving a low-margin i.e. 20 percent margin, now 50 to 100 percent margin is required. Earlier, if you applied to the bank for opening LC, it would be available in a day or two. Due to the dollar crisis, it is not happening even in a month and a half now.
Amin Ullah (Pseudonym) was admitted to Mirpur Heart Foundation due to heart attack. 60 years old. The doctors said he needs to be put on a pacemaker. Amin’s relatives said they had to buy a pacemaker worth Tk 1 lakh 90 thousand. The representatives of the company importing this pacemaker imported from Germany told the patient's relatives that they now have few pacemakers which are less than demand. LC can't be opened. They will be out of stock in a few days. Then the price will go up several fold, company people suggest.
According to the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), a total of 4 pacemakers including US-based Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific and Germany's Biotronik are being used in the country. In 2019, the government fixed the maximum and minimum prices of these pacemakers. At that time, pacemakers were available for less than Tk 1 lakh, but currently, the price of pacemakers has gone up to Tk2 lakh depending on the model.
Pacemakers are being sold at different prices because of the dollar price, said a doctor at the pediatric cardiology department of the Heart Institute. He said that the product which used to treat heart disease was 1 lakh, has become 2 lakh. Middle class patients have to suffer with pacemaker every day.
When asked whether there is any impact on the import of medical device instruments due to the dollar shortage in the country, Md Reyazul Islam, Vice President of Bangladesh Medical Equipment Importers and Suppliers Association (BMEISA) and President of BMA Bhavan Shop Owners Welfare Association, Owner of Medi Fair, said if there is demand for 10 LCs, we can open 1 or 2. Earlier we could open LC by depositing Tk20 instead of Tk 100 in the bank. Now I can't open LC even after depositing Tk 200.
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