THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister Veena George said that neither the Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL) nor government hospitals have been supplying expired medicines to the public. Dismissing allegations raised by Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, the minister emphasised that the issue should not be generalised to create unnecessary panic, especially by a figure in such a responsible position.
While raising the allegation Satheesan had cited a draft report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that scrutinized the quality of medicines provided by the KMSCL.
“The CAG had forwarded the draft report to seek the government’s response on the matter. In response, the principal secretary of the health department has requested the KMSCL, Department of Health Services (DHS), and Department of Medical Education (DME) to provide necessary explanations. The final report will be compiled after incorporating these responses,” the minister added.
She further reiterated, “Allegations of the distribution of expired medicines by either the KMSCL or government hospitals are baseless. Such claims unnecessarily raise concerns among the public, particularly when a significant portion, around 60-70%, relies on government hospitals for their healthcare needs.”
According to a performance report by the CAG, the KMSCL probably supplied expired medicines to 26 government hospitals between 2016 and 2022. Additionally, the report highlighted instances where drugs worth Rs 3.75 crore, in ‘frozen status,’ were distributed to wards before being declared of standard quality in 1764 occurrences across 483 hospitals during the same period.
Veena attributed the procurement of substandard medicines to the previous UDF government’s bulk purchases, emphasising that the issue of proper disposal had arisen consequently.
She assured that measures have been taken to enhance medicine storage in KMSCL warehouses, guided by the interim report following recent fire accidents. Regarding the procurement of immunoglobulin, she assured that the tender process was conducted appropriately, and any price increase was a general trend in the market.