Stories
Vijayan Alleges Acute Medicine Shortage in Keralam Government Hospitals, Blames UDF for Weakening Public Healthcare
- •Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan claims Keralam government hospitals face severe medicine shortages, including essential drugs like paracetamol and IV fluids.
- •Vijayan alleges 209 medicines and medical equipment for the current financial year have not reached hospitals, impacting primary, family health centers, district hospitals, and palliative care.
- •He attributes the shortage to frequent changes at Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL), procurement delays, and failure to issue timely purchase orders.
- •The former CM accuses the UDF government of deliberately delaying medicine procurement to benefit private hospitals and alleges Congress received election funding from hospital chains.
- •Vijayan calls for public protests against the government's alleged negligence, mismanagement, and denial of treatment to the poor, claiming it weakens public healthcare to push people towards private facilities.
Key Questions Answered
Essential medicines like paracetamol, IV fluids, anti-rabies drugs, antibiotics, and cardiac medications, along with medical equipment, are facing acute shortages across government hospitals. Stocks of 209 items for the current financial year have failed to reach the hospitals.
The shortage has been attributed to frequent leadership changes at the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL), delays in re-tendering, and failure to issue timely purchase orders. Additionally, the model code of conduct during Assembly elections and supplier withdrawals due to the war in West Asia delayed the order process.
Health Minister K Muraleedharan stated that companies have been directed to expedite supplies and that institutional heads are permitted to make local purchases during shortages. Furthermore, purchase orders have been placed for 664 out of 855 essential medicines, with the remaining items re-tendered and expected to arrive soon.