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The government’s decision to reduce the prices of several life-saving cardiac devices has brought welcome relief to thousands of heart patients, particularly those from lower-middle and middle-income families who often struggle to meet the high cost of treatment.
Patients, their relatives and cardiologists have praised the initiative, describing it as a timely step that will make critical heart care more affordable. Many have also urged the government to extend similar price reductions to other medical treatments and essential medicines.
At the Paediatric Cardiac Ward-2 of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hospital (NICVD) in Dhaka, eight-month-old Ayman Rahman lay beside his mother, Tahmina, who spoke of the financial burden her family has been carrying.
She said doctors diagnosed a hole in Ayman’s heart when he was only two months old. Since then, he has been receiving medication and is expected to undergo surgery when he reaches one to one-and-a-half years of age.
“We were extremely worried about how we would manage the huge cost of the surgery,” Tahmina told BSS. “The government’s decision to reduce the prices of cardiac devices has eased our worries to some extent. It is a great blessing for ordinary families like ours. I hope similar measures will be taken to reduce the overall cost of healthcare.”
The sentiment was echoed by Robiul Islam, who travelled from Jaldhaka in Nilphamari to receive treatment at NICVD.
“I had to struggle to arrange money for my treatment,” he said. “Many poor families are forced to sell land or borrow heavily to pay for heart care. This price reduction will provide real relief to patients. I also hope the government ensures that medicines remain affordable.”
Outside Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, retired government employee Abdur Rahman welcomed the move.
“I heard that the government has reduced the prices of cardiac devices as well as dialysis services. This is excellent news, especially for elderly people who often suffer from chronic illnesses. Such decisions will benefit countless ordinary citizens,” he said.
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) recently reduced the prices of pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) devices through a notification issued in April. Depending on the product, prices have been cut by between Tk 5,000 and Tk 200,000.
Cardiologists say these devices are vital for treating serious heart conditions. Pacemakers regulate abnormal heart rhythms by maintaining a steady heartbeat, while ICDs detect life-threatening rhythm disturbances and deliver electrical shocks when necessary to restore normal cardiac function. CRT devices improve the heart’s pumping efficiency in patients suffering from heart failure by synchronising the contractions of different chambers of the heart.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer, account for nearly 70 percent of all deaths in Bangladesh. Heart disease alone is responsible for about one-quarter of all deaths nationwide.
Medical experts say the reduction in device prices could significantly improve access to advanced cardiac treatment, particularly for financially vulnerable patients.
Bangladesh’s annual market for coronary stents is estimated at around Tk 3 billion, with nearly 35,000 stents implanted every year. More than 9,000 of those procedures are performed at NICVD alone.
DGDA data show that 27 private companies import 44 types of cardiac devices, including coronary stents, pacemakers, balloon guidewires, catheters, heart valves and oxygenators, from various countries.
Under the revised pricing, the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (CDVRA 6000 Neutrino VR) now costs Tk 500,000 instead of Tk 700,000, while the ICD (CDVRA 500Q Gallant VR) has been reduced from Tk 650,000 to Tk 500,000. The price of the ICD (CDDRA 500Q Gallant DR) has fallen from Tk 900,000 to Tk 800,000.
Similarly, the ICD models CDHFA 600Q Neutrino HF and CDHFA 500Q Gallant HF have each been reduced from Tk 1.2 million to Tk 1 million.
Among pacemakers, the Endurity Core DDDR Dual Chamber model now costs Tk 180,000 instead of Tk 230,000. The Endurity MRI DDDR Pacemaker has been reduced from Tk 280,000 to Tk 250,000, while the Assurity MRI DR DDDR Pacemaker now costs Tk 300,000, down from Tk 335,000. The Endurity Core VVIR Single Chamber Pacemaker has also become slightly cheaper, with its price reduced from Tk 145,000 to Tk 140,000.
The only exception is the Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT) device, whose price has increased marginally from Tk 549,000 to Tk 550,000.
To ensure transparency, the Health Ministry has directed that every medical device package must clearly display its maximum retail price (MRP), country of origin, manufacturing and expiry dates, and DGDA registration number. Importers are also required to obtain approval from the DGDA and clearance from the relevant authorities before importing and marketing any medical device.
Former NICVD Director Prof Dr Afzalur Rahman welcomed the government’s intervention, saying the regulation follows earlier efforts to reduce coronary stent prices.
“After bringing stent prices under control, the government has now reduced the prices of pacemakers and several other cardiac treatment devices. These are life-saving technologies, and making them more affordable will allow many more patients to receive timely treatment,” he said.
Healthcare experts believe the latest price cuts represent an important step towards reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses, although they stress that broader reforms are still needed to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible for all Bangladeshis.