"MNCs push to restart refurbished med device imports; seeks entry in repair initiative "
New Delhi: Months after regulators in India discontinued the imports of refurbished medical devices, multi-national players have called for reinstating the category imports and including the industry in the government’s Electronics Repair Services Outsourcing (ERSO) pilot initiative to further advance their repair operations.
The Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI), an MNC representative body, has voiced that
“the suspension of refurbished medical device imports is hampering healthcare services especially in tier 2–4 cities and rural areas and prolonged suspension could harm providers and jobs as well.”
The body Chairman Pavan Choudary has urged to initiate interim imports with the approvals from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
In 2023, the MoEFCC allowed the import of refurbished medical devices by enacting the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Second Amendment Rules, as an attempt towards e-waste management in the country.
However, in January this year, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) conveyed to the Principal Commissioner of Customs that
“no license is issued for importing such devices and they cannot be imported in the country either for sale or distribution.”
