Importers of medical devices, used particularly for providing oxygen support to Covid-19 patients, are now allowed to import these devices without prior mandatory declaration for the next three months, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said in a notification on Wednesday.

The importers can make all necessary declarations after the custom clearance, but before they are sold to consumers. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, make it mandatory to get the approvals prior to the import.

"...considering the pandemic situation of COVID-19 and to meet the demand of (sic) medical devices, in exercise of the powers conferred by the rule 33(1) and rule 6 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), 2011, the Central Government hereby permits the importers of medical devices to import the following medical devices for three months from the date of this advisory, subject to condition that the importers shall make all declarations required under these rules immediately after import/custom clearance and before sale by way stamping or putting stickers or online printing...," the advisory said.

The devices that are given this concession are nebulisers, oxygen concentrators, continuous positive airway pressure devices, bilevel positive airway pressure devices, oxygen concentrators along with flow meter, regulator, connectors and tubing and others.

This exemption would also be available to oxygen canisters, oxygen filling systems, oxygen cylinders, including cryogenic cylinders, oxygen generators, devices and parts used for ventilation as well as different types of oxygen generation plants and parts used for setting them up.

The importers, however have been told to inform all such imports along with the quantity of import to Director (Legal Metrology) and the controller (Legal Metrology) in the States where the import is made, immediately after the import.

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