Pinarayi criticizes the government’s “lack” of medicines. HOSPITAL; says the UDF government. helping the private sector health lobby
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan accused the UDF government of engaging in a deliberate conspiracy to help the “private healthcare sector lobby” by systematically undermining the credibility of Kerala’s public healthcare system.
State government hospitals are facing an “unprecedented” and severe shortage of drugs to the extent that even life-saving drugs are not available in the hospitals. This is gross negligence on the part of the government, which is playing with the lives of common people, Mr. Vijayan said.
He said government hospitals were facing shortages even of paracetamol and intravenous fluids. Essential medicines, including rabies vaccines, are out of stock. Stocks of 209 categories of drugs and equipment for this financial year have still not arrived at hospitals. Acute shortages of antibiotics, heart medications, antacids, and doxycycline, which is used to prevent leptospirosis.
Mr. Vijayan claimed that all the government health institutions right from the primary health centers are facing shortage of medicines, especially medicines to be consumed regularly for diabetes and hypertension. He pointed to frequent changes in the management of Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd., which is responsible for the distribution of drugs in public sector hospitals, and failure in tenders and delays in placing orders for drugs and equipment.
He accused the UDF government of pushing common people to private hospitals by deliberately turning government hospitals into mere ‘showrooms’
Meanwhile, at a review meeting convened by Health Minister K. Muraleedharan here on Saturday to review the drug shortage situation in hospitals, the Director General of KMSCL explained with figures that essential drugs, including anti-fever drugs and antibiotics, are currently in stock in the hospitals. He also specified that the medicines that had already been ordered would arrive within this week.
Mr. Muraleedharan directed that the procurement process for the next financial year should be started in October itself and the entire process should be completed by the end of December.
He also ordered that middlemen be removed from the bidding process and that agencies that deal directly with imported drugs can also participate in the bidding process. He also said that KMSCL should procure only those medicines which are procured by at least two state governments
KMSCL has to procure the drugs at a price lower than the price paid by the in-house drug bank at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, which currently offers the cheapest branded drugs in the state. The purchase price of drugs must be published on the website every year.
He said that a comprehensive redevelopment is going on at KMSCL so that people have access to quality medicines and its effects will be felt in the coming days.
Published – 26 Sep 2026 21:23 IST