Lok Sabha Question No. 4598 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Shortage of Equipments Supplies
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Adv Dean Kuriakose

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4598 ANSWERED ON 20/08/2025

## SHORTAGE OF EQUIPMENTS SUPPLIES

## 4598. ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE:

Will  the  Minister  of  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government has examined the reasons that has led to the shortage of equipment supplies for neuro and peripheral interventional  procedures  impacting  patient  care  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  hospital  has  reinitiated  the  signing  of  equipment contract with vendors to streamline the issue that impacted patient care and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  short-term  solution  of  equipment  purchase  through HLL has led to increase in treatment costs of neuro and interventional radiology procedures and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to streamline the supply  chain  for  equipments  and  consumables  in  the  National  Premier Institute?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्ितंत्र प्रभार) ( डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह )

- (a) There is no shortage of equipment supplies for neuro and peripheral  interventional  procedures,  impacting  patient  care  at  Sree Chitra  Tirunal  Institute  for  Medical  Sciences  &  Technology  (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram.

- (b) SCTIMST has a rate contract tender to procure items for neuro and peripheral interventional procedures till October 2025. Three key suppliers  declined  supply  of  equipment  beyond  July  2025,  citing  a requirement  for  price  escalation.  In  May  2025,  the  Department  of Imaging  Sciences  and  Interventional  Radiology  (IS&IR)  at  SCTIMST recommended  procuring  the  items  through  the  Government  agency AMRIT  Pharmacy.  Thus,  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding  (MoU)  was signed  with  HLL  Life  Care  Limited  (HLL)  on  10/06/2025  to  procure  the items through the Government procurement agency, Amrit Pharmacy to avoid impact on patient care, if any.
- (c) The current MoU with HLL has prices at par/same with the National Institutions  like  AIIMS, PGIMER etc  and  includes  a  price  fall  clause, which ensures that SCTIMST benefits from the lowest prices offered by HLL for the same items elsewhere, thereby preventing cost escalations in neuro and interventional radiology procedures.
- (d) The MoU  with HLL will ensure an uninterrupted supply of equipment  and  consumables  through  the  Government  procurement agency,  Amrit  Pharmacy.  Continuous  efforts  are  also  being  made  to streamline the  purchase processes through Government e Marketplace (GeM) as per norms mandated by Government of India. To avoid supply disruptions  in  the  National  Premier  Institute,  flexibility  is  provided  to procure the equipment either through rate contracts, AMRIT pharmacies or the GeM portal.

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