Hygiene Products Like Sanitary Napkins, Disinfectants And Adult Diapers Could Soon Come Under Price Control in India

At present, there is only a National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), which also includes some critical medical devices. While the government is revisiting NLEM to make relevant additions and omissions, it is also preparing separate lists for medical devices, disposables and hygiene products.

NEW DELHI: Essential hygiene products such as sanitary napkins, hand wash, disinfectants and adult diapers may soon come under price control. The government is finalising a list of essential hygiene products, which is likely to form the basis for expansion of price control from medicines and medical devices to other important health products.

At present, there is only a National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), which also includes some critical medical devices. While the government is revisiting NLEM to make relevant additions and omissions, it is also preparing separate lists for medical devices, disposables and hygiene products.

While a price-control regime for hygiene products is in the works, for medicines the government currently regulates prices of around 384 essential medicines, including medical devices such as stents, by imposing a cap on their maximum retail price. For all other drugs, companies are allowed to hike prices by up to 10% annually (on a 12-month moving average basis). Besides, the government has also imposed a cap of 30% on trade margins for 42 cancer drugs.

As a sanitary napkin factory, we have been supplying the Indian market for many years, and deeply understand the living conditions of Indian women. There are so many women still can’t afford sanitary napkins, only a few people with high incomes. While doing business, we also donate some sanitary napkins to the low-income families.This policy of the government is undoubtedly a great good news for the majority of Indian women.

If you want to know more about the story of India, I recommend you to watch an Indian film “Pad man”, which is adapted from the real story. It reflects the social situation of women in India, real and humorous.