R.I.P (2020-2022)

ONCE IN SHORT SUPPLY DURING THE PEAK OF USED IN THE PANDEMIC, VITAL PARAPHERNALIA THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF COVID-19 REMAIN UNSOLD OR UNUSED, PUTTING MANUFACTURERS IN A SPOT

- NEETU CHANDRA SHARMA

RAMBA SINGH, A DELHI-BASED medical equipment distributor, is eagerly waiting to free up space in his warehouse, now occupied by over a dozen oxygen concentrators that he bought in March 2021 when India was reeling under the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chinese concentrators, which Singh had bought from domestic companies for ₹25,000 each and rented out for at least ₹10,000 a day to Covid-19 patients, haven’t been used for over a year. “Since there is no demand, I offered these to small local hospitals at throwaway prices, but they didn’t want them,” says Singh, who plans to donate them to charity since he has already recovered their cost.

Ventilators, oxygen concentrators, personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, oxygen cylinders and many other items that were considered life-savers during the initial days of the pandemic are now gathering dust at hospitals and manufacturing units. These commanded premium prices when Covid-19 was at its peak, but with the infection curve seeing a downward trend after December 2021, these products are no longer in demand.

CHALLENGING TIMES

“These are very challenging times for manufacturers of Covid-19-critical medical devices who had invested in plants and production lines for FFP2 (N95-equivalent) masks, surgical masks, oxygen therapy (ventilators, oxygen concentrators, high nasal flow oxygen equipment), syringes, etc., as demand has ebbed sharply and manufacturers are left with huge capacities of plant and machinery and unsold inventories,” says Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD).