KARACHI: Pakistan Society of Interventional Cardiology and Pakistan Association of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeons have criticized the imposition of sales tax on medical devices in the current year’s budget.
Sales Tax on items like stents, coronary balloons, wires, catheters and IABP, children cardiac disposals, cardiac surgical disposables they opine all fall under the category of life saving medical devices which are crucial for saving human lives. Almost 60% of these devices are procured by the government institutions hence imposition of sales tax will adversely affect their performance and provision of services. They have urged the government to reconsider this decision and remove sales tax from medical devices.
