Chongqing—According to the Chongqing Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, Chongqing recently implemented the Sichuan-Chongqing alliance's bulk procurement results for ultrasound scalpel medical supplies, slashing average prices by 74% to 1,232 yuan.
This initiative is projected to save local residents 150 million yuan annually in medical costs.
Doctors use ultrasonic scalpels to perform surgery at Chongqing's People's Hospital. (Photo/ Chongqing Daily)
Ultrasound scalpels are crucial medical tools for minimally invasive surgeries that involve cutting, separating, and coagulating soft tissue. Yuan Wei, a director of Chongqing People’s Hospital, clarified that these scalpels are disposable and can be used with an ultrasound surgical device.
Cui Xuechao, Director of the Chongqing Pharmaceutical Price and Medical Insurance Fund Monitoring Center, stated that the joint procurement initiative launched in April by the Chongqing and Sichuan Medical Insurance Bureaus aims to ease patients' financial burden.
"We selected 61 companies, covering 1,282 products, with some prices dropping from 5,800 yuan to 750 yuan," he added.
Ultrasonic scalpel. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
The procurement process saw high company participation, strong institutional support, and substantial price reductions.
Notably, 135 medical institutions in Chongqing participated, requesting 43,924 scalpel heads. Major hospitals, including The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, will save over 13 million yuan in ultrasound scalpel head costs over the next two years.
Since 2020, Chongqing has collaborated with provinces like Guizhou and Yunnan on bulk procurement of medical supplies, including staplers, hernia mesh, and IV needles. The city plans to expand this strategy to more items, further benefiting patients.
(Ma Manlin, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)