Medicine shortage in Keralam temporary, campaigns misleading: Health Minister

Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Monday said reports and campaigns about a shortage of medicines in Keralam were misleading, asserting that the disruption in the availability of some medicines was temporary and caused by supply issues linked to the ongoing West Asian war and the withdrawal of certain suppliers.

"Campaigns regarding the availability of medicines in the state are misleading," Muraleedharan said while inaugurating an Integrated Public Health Laboratory and a District Vaccine and Family Welfare Store here.

He said the government had taken steps to procure medicines from other states through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMCL) to address the supply disruption.

Hospitals have also been permitted to directly purchase locally required medicines through Hospital Development Societies (HDS) and Hospital Management Committees (HMC), he said.

A special committee has been constituted to assess the availability of medicines, the minister added.

The clarification comes amid allegations by the CPI(M)-led Opposition that government hospitals across the state are facing an acute shortage of medicines and that the administration is attempting to conceal the situation.

The Opposition has also cited an audio message reportedly sent by the Health Department Director in an official group of District Medical Officers and District Programme Managers as evidence of the shortage.

Muraleedharan also said the government was focusing on disease prevention and urged people to cooperate with vaccination programmes, including those against HPV and measles.

He called for coordinated efforts by local bodies, the Water Resources Department and educational institutions along with the Health Department to strengthen preventive measures against infectious diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.

The Food Safety Department would conduct strict inspections to ensure the quality and hygiene of food served to children in schools, he said.

The minister said services in government hospitals would not be allowed to suffer because of shortages of doctors or other staff.

He also said the government would introduce regulations to prevent private hospitals from charging unnecessarily high amounts for treatment and other services. A special committee has been appointed to work on the issue, he added.

The Integrated Public Health Laboratory and District Vaccine and Family Welfare Store were inaugurated as part of the Health Department's 100-day action plan.

The vaccine store, built at a cost of Rs 2 crore using National Health Mission funds, has a built-up area of 415 square metres and is equipped with about 20 deep freezers, a cold chain workshop, generator facilities and storage space for medicines.

The integrated public health laboratory, established at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore, has facilities for infectious disease testing, haematology, clinical biochemistry, microbiology, virology and pathology.

The laboratory will serve as a central hub for the region and provide round-the-clock emergency diagnostic services, officials said.

MLA Rajan J Pallan presided over the function. Thrissur Corporation Mayor Dr Niji Justin and District Collector Shikha Surendran were among those present.