Pinarayi slams medicine ‘shortage’ at govt. hospitals; says UDF govt. helping private sector health lobby

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the UDF government of engaging in a deliberate conspiracy to help the “private sector health care lobby” by systematically undermining the credibility of Kerala’s public health sector

The State government hospitals are experiencing an “unprecedented” and severe shortage of medicines to the point that even life-saving drugs are unavailable in hospitals. This is gross negligence on the part of the government, which is playing with the lives of ordinary people, Mr. Vijayan said.

He said that government hospitals are facing shortages even of paracetamol and IV fluids. Essential medicines, including anti-rabies vaccines, are out of stock. Stocks of 209 categories of medicines and equipment for this financial year have still not reached hospitals. There are acute shortages of antibiotics, cardiac medicines, medicines for acidity, and doxycycline which is used for leptospirosis prevention.