China's latest bulk procurement of medical consumables brings hope to many

BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- People with hearing impairments or requiring peripheral vascular stent placements in China will now spend less on treatment, with the latest government-led bulk procurement of medical consumables completed on Thursday.

The latest bulk procurement included some 11,000 cochlear implants purchased from five suppliers, as well as 258,000 peripheral vascular stents obtained from 18 suppliers, the National Healthcare Security Administration said in a press release.

Selected suppliers include both domestic and international companies, according to the statement.

The administration estimates that the average price of a cochlear implant, which is composed of an implant and a speech processor, will drop from over 200,000 yuan (about 27,800 U.S. dollars) to approximately 50,000 yuan.

While cochlear implants represent the most direct and effective rehabilitation solution for people with severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss, the high costs of these devices has long been a significant barrier for many.

In China, congenital hearing loss is present in one to three newborns in every 1,000.

"Hearing directly determines one's ability to receive education, communicate with others and integrate into society," said Yu Lisheng, director of the Department of Otolaryngology at Peking University People's Hospital, highlighting the necessity of early cochlear implantation for hearing-impaired children.

Cochlear implantation for age-related hearing loss has become increasingly important, as timely intervention can improve the quality of life and mental health of elderly people.

More than 100,000 people have undergone cochlear implant surgery nationwide since the operation was first performed in China in 1995.

Wang Wei, director of the Department of Otolaryngology at the Tianjin First Central Hospital, said that the latest bulk procurement will significantly increase the accessibility of cochlear implants, making them a more attractive option for people with impaired hearing across all age groups.

Peripheral vascular stents are used primarily to treat peripheral vascular diseases such as vascular stenosis, thrombosis and aneurysms.

Compared to the 1.2 million coronary stent implantation surgeries performed in China each year, peripheral vascular stent implantations are fewer in number and higher in cost, making many hesitant to seek the treatment. Annually, 200,000 to 300,000 people undergo peripheral vascular stent implantation in China.

Dai Xiangchen, deputy chief of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, voiced approval of the significant reduction in surgical costs after peripheral vascular stents were included in the bulk procurement catalog.

China has been working to make medicines more affordable through multiple methods, including bulk procurement and price negotiation programs.