Kerala Health Minister Questions Use of Expired Drugs for Nipah Treatment
Keralas Health Minister raises concerns over the use of expired drugs for Nipah patients, prompting an investigation into past procurement practices.
Kozhikode, October 30 (Daily Kiran) : Kerala’s Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has raised serious concerns regarding the medications administered to Nipah virus patients during the tenure of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Speaking to reporters in Kozhikode, Muraleedharan expressed doubts about whether patients received drugs intended for clinical trials. He also highlighted that some supplied medications lacked manufacturing dates, raising further questions about their legitimacy.
Following information from the superintendent of Kozhikode Medical College, the minister has ordered a comprehensive investigation. This inquiry will examine the involvement of foreign pharmaceutical companies and intermediaries, as well as the financial benefits they may have received.
These revelations follow a statement made by Muraleedharan in the assembly, where he disclosed that Remdesivir, purchased in 2021 with an expiration date of May 30, 2023, was used in subsequent years. The Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL) had acquired 3,000 vials of this drug for ₹42 lakh on June 3, 2021. Medical college records indicate that 102 vials were used in 2023-24, 34 in 2024-25, and 10 in 2025-26.
The minister noted that an additional 50 vials used in 2026 were separately imported from Bahrain on June 12, 2026. A medical board, led by Dr. R. Aravind from the Infectious Diseases Department at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, has been established to investigate whether the suspected use of expired drugs is linked to patient deaths and if other recipients experienced adverse effects.
Muraleedharan also pointed out that a letter from opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan only cautioned against providing patients with inexpensive medications and did not mention clinical trials or expired drugs.
He assured that the government would take appropriate action once all facts are uncovered. This incident occurred during Vijayan’s leadership from 2016 to 2026.
