Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan Defends His Position Amid Criticism from Former CPI(M) Ministers

Thiruvananthapuram, October 23 (Daily Kiran) : Kerala’s Health Minister K. Muraleedharan responded firmly on Friday to criticisms from three former female health ministers of the CPI(M). He questioned their tenures while making it clear that he has no intention of resigning amid the ongoing political disputes surrounding the health sector.

Muraleedharan targeted the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, stating that the era when surgical scissors were allegedly left inside patients during operations has passed. He remarked on the personal attacks from the former ministers, claiming they have united against him after being sidelined by their own party.

“The Congress party has appointed me as a minister,” he asserted, reinforcing his commitment to his position. His comments came a day after senior CPI(M) leaders and former health ministers P.K. Sreemathi, K.K. Shailaja, and Veena George criticized the current government’s management of the state’s health sector.

Muraleedharan alleged that during the tenure of one former minister, children died due to infections, while another was in charge during a Nipah virus outbreak that claimed lives. He also accused a third former minister of falsely claiming to have been assaulted.

The controversy primarily stems from the distribution of medications for children suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The former ministers raised concerns about the safety of patients regarding medications that were “only written for clinical trials.”

P.K. Sreemathi accused the government of irresponsibility, which she claims has made it difficult for patients to access life-saving drugs. She highlighted that during the LDF government’s tenure, medications were provided free of charge, and there were no complaints about shortages over a decade.

Additionally, she alleged that the established procurement process through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation was ignored, leading to corruption and distribution issues. In response, Muraleedharan stated that the government would continue to use domestically produced medications for SMA patients instead of importing them.

He further claimed that some television reports have exacerbated the controversy, hinting that foreign pharmaceutical companies might be behind some of the misinformation.

Meanwhile, renowned neurosurgeon and former Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University, B. Iqbal, expressed support for the health department’s decisions. He described the use of the affordable generic drug Risdiplam, produced by Natco, as a significant step towards making treatment more accessible.

The debate over drug procurement, patient safety, and the previous LDF government’s health record has escalated into a major political conflict. However, K. Muraleedharan, who is handling the situation as the health minister, has indicated that he is not inclined to back down on this issue.