Turkish firm seeks to cut dependency on imported stent

A Turkish company, which produces healthcare devices, is aiming to reduce the country's dependency on imported stent by manufacturing it in the country.

Leyla Alaton, the president of Alvimedica, told Anadolu Agency Turkey was a big stent importer therefore its prices are very high.

Stent is a little metallic cage used for opening blockages in coronary arteries in order to prevent patients from heart attack.

"We want to transfer technology to Turkey in 2018 and start as soon as possible to export high quality stents substantially," Alaton said.

She underlined that currently prices of imported stents vary from 150 liras [$40] to 7,000 liras [$1,840] in Turkey. "People will reach it for a reasonable price after we produce them in Turkey."

Alaton added that the company also aims to export stents to the U.S. after approval of Food and Drug Administration, the U.S federal agency.

The company also aims to open a hospital in Croatia's southern province of Split in the second half of the year, Alaton said.

"The construction of external part of the hospital building is completed and we are about to start construction within the building itself," she added.

Alvimedica, established in 2007, manufactures integrated circuit products for endovascular and interventional cardiology.

The company has two manufacturing facilities in Turkey and Italy, and exports its products to more than 70 countries worldwide.