Experts at the 10th National Convention on Medicine & Law 2025 have urged the government to introduce a national policy governing the reuse of Single-Use Medical Devices (SUDs), highlighting the need to balance affordability with patient safety.
The convention, held on November 24, brought together regulators, medical professionals, legal experts, patient groups, and industry representatives to discuss “Reuse of Single-Use Devices – Bridging the Policy Gap.” Speakers stressed that while reuse is widely practiced in India to reduce costs, it remains largely unregulated, creating medical, ethical, and legal complications.
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal noted that high device costs often force doctors to opt for reuse to help patients who cannot afford treatment. He added that healthcare professionals currently operate under three pressures — government expectations to reduce costs, patient demands for safety at lower prices, and manufacturers’ push for profitability.
Experts warned that the absence of standards, limited patient disclosures, and unclear liability create risks for both patients and hospitals. The need for better transparency, validated scientific protocols, and patient consent was emphasized as key to building trust.
Sharing evidence from Aravind Eye Hospitals, Dr. Ravindran highlighted that scientifically tested reuse can maintain safety while also reducing biomedical waste — a practice that gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comparing global practices, the panel noted that while the US permits reuse through licensed reprocessors with strict tracking and reporting, countries like France and China have banned it entirely. India lacks the infrastructure to adopt advanced systems immediately but cannot allow unsafe reuse to continue.
Key recommendations included developing an India-specific policy, ensuring patient-centric transparency, protecting doctors legally, promoting safety protocols, and building national data systems.
Organised annually by the Institute of Medicine & Law, the session was chaired by Justice Ravi Tripathi, Former Judge of Gujarat High Court. It was convened by Dr. Barun Nayak and moderated by Dr. Parag Rindani of Wockhardt Group of Hospitals.