The Kozhikode Corporation is recalling medicines that are about to expire after councilors raised concerns

The Kozhikode Corporation has started recalling medicines supplied to health and wellness centers and other primary health centers within its limits after it was found that several medicines were nearing expiry while some had already expired.

The move comes less than a week after councilors raised the issue at the corporation council meeting, prompting Mayor O Sadasivan to direct the civic body’s health wing to look into the matter and submit a report.

Following the complaints, the company has started inventorying drugs with nearing expiry and is taking excess and old stock from health centres. According to the corporation’s health department, the drugs have already been withdrawn from five health centres.

Officials said the agency that supplied the drugs was taking them back and that the process would be completed by Monday (September 7). Medicines taken back will be replaced, they said.

During a council meeting last week, councilor Saritha Parayeri brought the issue to the attention of the corporation. BJP councilors Ms. Parayeri and N. Sivaprasad said that most of the medicines supplied to the health center in their wards are nearing their expiry date.

Congress councilor KC Shobhitha alleged that there was a bigger “lobby” behind the supply of old medicines and urged the corporation authorities to bring the matter to the attention of the state government.

The mayor said that the corporation did not procure the drugs directly and that they were supplied through the National Health Mission (NHM) from the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. (KMSCL). Medicines were supplied by the corporation to health centers when there was a shortage of medicines supplied through NHM, officials said.

Published – 06 Sep 2026 19:14 IST