LHASA — To deepen administrative streamlining reforms and meet the specific needs of remote areas, tourist spots, and epidemic prevention sites, the Lhasa Municipal Market Supervision Administration has officially implemented a new record-filing system. Recently, under this new policy, Lhasa successfully registered its first-ever medical device sales counter, bringing regulated portable medical oxygen concentrators directly to the public.
According to the administration, a medical device manufacturer based in the Lhasa Economic and Technological Development Zone became the first to complete the filing process. The company has set up 13 dedicated sales counters across various locations, including shopping malls, supermarkets, local specialty souvenir shops, and inns. The primary products featured at these counters are the company’s own portable medical oxygen concentrators.
The Bureau implemented a fast-track review and filing process for the enterprise, significantly reducing approval procedures. This efficiency has accelerated the market entry of Tibetan oxygen supply products, providing immense convenience for both incoming tourists and local residents.
As a world-renowned tourist destination, Tibet has seen a rapid year-on-year increase in visitors. Due to high-altitude hypoxia, medical devices such as portable medical oxygen concentrators, oxygen bags, and oxygen cylinders have become highly sought-after products in the tourism market.
However, a major bottleneck previously existed: typical tourism-related businesses like specialty shops, bed-and-breakfasts, travel agencies, and hotels did not meet the strict requirements to obtain standard medical device business licenses. This regulatory gap led to market chaos, including unlicensed operations, business scopes exceeding legal limits, and the sale of fake or substandard medical devices. This not only posed significant quality and safety risks to consumers but also created tremendous difficulties for law enforcement.
The establishment of these official medical device sales counters effectively resolves this pain point. By allowing the legal sale of Class I and certain Class II medical devices (such as portable medical oxygen concentrators) via registered counters, the city has successfully curbed unlicensed sales and counterfeit products in the tourism market. It ensures that tourists’ demands for oxygen equipment are met safely and legally, bringing the quality of medical devices under guaranteed regulatory control.
This initiative is a direct implementation of the State Council’s guidelines on the innovative transformation of physical retail and the Tibet Autonomous Region Medical Device Sales Counter Management Regulations (Trial).
Moving forward, the Lhasa Municipal Market Supervision Administration stated that it will conduct regular supervisory inspections of these registered medical device sales counters. The Bureau will urge enterprises to fulfill their primary responsibilities for product safety and guide them in proper counter management, ensuring the public continues to receive safe, convenient, and high-quality medical device sales services.