Pinarayi alleges Kerala medicine crisis as government promises procurement overhaul
Kerala Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the UDF government of allowing severe medicine shortages in public hospitals. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan’s review meeting said essential medicines were in stock and ordered faster procurement, publication of prices and changes to tender procedures.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Kerala government of deliberately undermining public hospitals and helping the private healthcare sector by allowing an alleged shortage of medicines. Mr. Vijayan said the situation was unprecedented and that even life-saving medicines were unavailable in some government hospitals.
He claimed that shortages extended to paracetamol, intravenous fluids and anti-rabies vaccines, and said stocks of 209 categories of medicines and equipment for the financial year had not reached hospitals. He also alleged shortages of antibiotics, cardiac medicines, acidity medicines and doxycycline, which is used to prevent leptospirosis. According to him, primary health centres and other government institutions were affected, particularly in the supply of medicines regularly used by people with diabetes and hypertension.
Mr. Vijayan blamed frequent changes in the leadership of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. (KMSCL), failures in tendering and delays in placing purchase orders.
He alleged that the government was pushing ordinary people towards private hospitals by reducing public hospitals to “show pieces”. The government’s account, presented at a review meeting called by Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, differed from the Opposition’s claims.
KMSCL’s General Manager told the meeting that essential medicines, including fever medicines and antibiotics, were currently available in hospitals. He said medicines covered by existing purchase orders would arrive during the week. Mr.
Muraleedharan directed officials to begin procurement procedures for the next financial year in October and complete them by December. He ordered the removal of middlemen from tender processes and said agencies dealing directly in imported medicines should be allowed to participate. He also directed KMSCL to procure only medicines purchased by at least two State governments, and at prices below those paid by the in-house drug bank at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.
Annual purchase prices are to be published online as part of a wider overhaul of the corporation.
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