Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan on Tuesday said the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that the expired medicines were supplied to the government hospitals by Kerala State Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL) are shocking and he demanded an impartial investigation into the affairs of the organisation (KMSCL).
Speaking to media persons in Kochi, Satheesan asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to respond to the CAG report over the distribution of expired medicine to government hospitals and he demanded an impartial investigation into the into the affairs of KMSCL.
He said that the CAG in its report has stated that there was a grave laxity on the part of the KMSCL in the quality control of medicines provided in the state.
“There is serious negligence in quality checking. Substandard and fake medicines are becoming easily available in the market. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Health Minister Veena George had approved the purchase,” Satheesan said.
“Some companies’ drugs have not even been tested. The government is busy extorting money by risking the lives of patients. Expired medicines were supplied to twenty-six hospitals. Around 1,610 batches of medicines have not met the expiry date regulations,” he alleged.
Satheesan also asked CM Vijayan to clarify whether the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has probed the monthly payment controversy involving his daughter Veena or not.