How the Iran war is ratcheting up cost of medical supplies
· Scroll
At his factory in Visakhapatnam, Sanjeev Relhan produces surgical gowns and protective gear that doctors and nurses routinely use in hospitals while handling an infectious patient or for a surgery.
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Usually, Relhan sells gowns to hospitals for Rs 80 a piece. In the last few days, he has raised the price by 50% to Rs 120.
The manufacturer said he had no other option, as the cost of non-woven fabric has shot up because of the Iran war.
The synthetic fabric, made out of a petroleum-based polymer called polypropylene, is in short supply as petrochemical plants have slashed production because their gas supplies are dwindling.
In Faridabad, a company that sells disposable syringes, catheters, IV cannula and dialysis products to hospitals has also increased prices from 5% to 25%.
A Punjab firm that manufactures dental implants has raised prices as the cost of titanium surges because of the war.
The war on Iran by Israel and the United States of America has already rattled the global supply of crude oil and liquified petroleum gas. Iran’s shutdown of the key shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz, has increased freight costs and made imports costlier.
The cascading effects of the conflict are now rippling out across sectors in India – and might raise costs for hospitals...