Why Allowing Refurbished Medical Device Imports Puts India's Health & Innovation at Risk Urgent Call to Halt Import of Refurbished Medical Devices

The recent approvals granted for the import of refurbished and reconditioned medical devices raise serious concerns for India’s healthcare ecosystem, which have invested years of indigenous research, engineering, and manufacturing to create world-class medical technologies under the “Make in India” vision.

- TBG NETWORK

This practice not only weakens the domestic medical device industry but actively undermines the work of innovators who have built advanced platforms such as surgical robotic systems ground-up in India. This has critical implications of MoEFCC’s decision to permit refurbished medical equipment Imports. While Indian manufacturers continue to create cutting-edge, globally competitive devices, the entry of old, depreciated, foreign machines threatens to flood the market with technology that has already lived its commercial life elsewhere. India cannot afford to become a dumping ground for medical electronic waste under the guise of refurbished equipment.

What makes the matter more concerning is the regulatory contradiction: CDSCO the only statutory authority for medical devices has already clarified that refurbished devices cannot be imported under current Medical Device Rules. Allowing refurbished imports while penalising 10-year-old vehicles for environmental risk exposes a stark inconsistency. Medical devices, which directly impact patient lives, must adhere to even stricter standards.