New round of national medical consumables procurement includes 23 varieties

The seventh round of China's centralized procurement program for medical consumables has selected 23 types of consumables for digestive intervention procedures, covering a variety of mainstream products, according to a statement released by the National Health Security Administration on Thursday.

This bulk-buy round focuses on medical supplies used for endoscopic surgical treatment of digestive tract diseases, such as biliary and pancreatic stones, gastrointestinal polyps and tumors, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

These types of medical consumables are used in large volumes, come in various product models, and vary considerably in usage methods. After centralized procurement, overall treatment expenses are expected to be reduced, the administration said.

Under the program, manufacturers offer price reductions in exchange for large-volume supply contracts with public hospitals. The bidding for the latest round took place in Tianjin on Thursday, attracting 558 products from 156 companies.

According to the bidding results, a total of 517 products from 148 manufacturers secured winning bids. The administration said the results will start to be implemented in January 2027.

Since 2020, China has included a total of 165 types of medical consumables in its national centralized procurement program, covering major clinical areas such as cardiology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, vascular surgery, otolaryngology, urology, and gastroenterology.