Manufacturers of medical equipment asked to weaken the regime of its export from Russia

by time news

The Association of International Manufacturers of Medical Devices IMEDA turned to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin with a request to ease the regime for the export of medical equipment from Russia with the permission of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Otherwise, Russian hospitals and clinics may face a shortage of it. This was reported by Kommersant with reference to a letter from the association.

It is noted that suppliers cannot export spare parts for repair or replacement to foreign countries. The problem arose due to a government decree of March 9. The document defined a list of goods prohibited for export from the Russian Federation to all countries, with the exception of the EAEU states, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, without special permits from the relevant ministries. The list included vehicles, agricultural machinery and medical equipment. The government explained that such a measure was taken to “ensure stability in the Russian market.”

In the letter, IMEDA representatives note that the ban on the export of medical equipment to non-CIS countries may provoke its secondary shortage in the market. The fact is that warranty repairs and service are usually carried out in the country in which the equipment was manufactured. It is clarified that if the medical equipment was repaired in Russia, then the replaced spare parts must also be returned to the manufacturer.

According to the head of the association, Sergei Vanin, most of the Russian medical equipment (including CT, MRI and ultrasound machines) is made in the USA, Europe and Asia. In this regard, the question arises of how to export medical equipment for repair and maintenance to these countries. The association proposes to amend resolutions No. 311 and 312 and allow the export of medical equipment for repair.

The source of the newspaper noted that the permission from the Ministry of Industry and Trade does not solve the problem. According to him, the export of medical equipment is not coordinated by the customs service. The Ministry of Industry and Trade also stated that this information is not true. The Ministry of Health told Kommersant that they were aware of the problem. The agency believes that temporary permits for the export of medical equipment may be used until the difficulties that have arisen are resolved.

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