Kerala orders emergency action to address hospital medicine shortages
Kerala’s government has directed its medical supplies corporation to speed up purchase orders after shortages were reported for basic medicines, antibiotics and rabies vaccine. Officials said hospital stocks remained available but supplies at central procurement and storage facilities were running low amid tendering delays.
The Kerala government has ordered the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd to convene an emergency board meeting and accelerate medicine purchase orders, The Hindu reports. The directive followed reports of shortages affecting basic medicines, antibiotics and rabies vaccine at hospitals ranging from peripheral facilities to tertiary care centres. Health Minister K.
Muraleedharan convened a meeting on Tuesday to review the situation. District medical officers said medicines were still available at hospitals, but stocks at the corporation’s procurement and storage centres were running low. Government hospitals have reportedly faced shortages of medicines and medical supplies for several weeks.
The immediate difficulty was linked to delays in the corporation’s annual procurement and re-tendering process. The corporation is the central supplier for about 8,000 government healthcare institutions. In the latest procurement exercise, 180 items reportedly received no bids, while suppliers quoted higher prices for another 171 items.
The results led to re-tendering and delays in placing new orders. The government has instructed hospitals to make immediate local purchases using hospital development society funds. However, The Hindu reports that many public hospitals have limited funds because of overdue government payments.
Mr Muraleedharan said medicines for which purchase orders had already been placed were expected to reach hospitals soon. He set October 15 as the deadline for resolving the shortage and directed the corporation to begin next financial year’s procurement in October, with the process completed by December and supplies expected from February 2027. District health officials were also told to strengthen disease-control work, identify infection hotspots and conduct home visits.
The measures come as health authorities continue to record infectious diseases during the epidemic season.
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