Drug Quality Control Division in KMSCL dismantled

The quality control division of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) has been abolished and the responsibility for quality assurance of drugs procured by KMSCL will be given to the state drug control department, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said here on Thursday.

The move comes after it was found that a large proportion of drugs procured and distributed through KMSCL did not meet quality standards in the past, the health minister’s office said.

Medicines worth crores of rupees were found to be substandard in this way. There have also been complaints that KMSCL’s own quality control department checking the drugs the firm buys leaves a lot of room for corruption, the statement said.

The health minister is said to have intervened after it was pointed out that there is an urgent need to strengthen the existing quality assurance system of medicines procured through KMSCL.

The Medicines Control Department already has the necessary legal authority, technical expertise and regulatory mandate to ensure the quality of medicines. However, in view of the lack of personnel in the department, the Minister of Health also granted approval for the recruitment of workers on a fixed-term contract, so that the quality control system could be implemented effectively and within the specified time limits.

All medicines procured through KMSCL will be duly inspected by the Drug Control Department and subjected to required quality checks before distribution to government hospitals and other institutions.

Mr. Muraleedharan said the government’s move was part of making quality control of drugs more transparent. He added that he had written to the Principal Secretary (Health) flagging these issues.

Published – 10 Sep 2026 20:16 IST