Three women CPI-M Kerala ex-Health Ministers take on Muraleedharan

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22 (IANS) In a rare congruence, three women who headed Kerala’s Health portfolio under the LDF governments came together on Thursday to launch a broadside against the current Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, accusing him of mishandling the SMA drug controversy and raising concerns over the future of public healthcare.

P.K. Sreemathy, who served as Health Minister from 2006 to 2011, K.K. Shailaja (2016-2021) and Veena George (2021-2026) shared the platform, putting the functioning of the Health Department under the new government under scrutiny.

Their intervention was significant as the three CPI-M leaders represented three successive phases of the party’s administration of the health portfolio.

Shailaja and Veena George lost the 2026 Assembly elections, while Sreemathy, who failed to retain her Kannur Lok Sabha seat in 2019, has not contested an election since.

Sreemathy accused Muraleedharan of taking charge of the department in a casual manner, saying the health sector had recorded achievements over the previous decade that Kerala could be proud of.

She alleged that the SMA medicine controversy had exposed serious lapses and called for an investigation.

Questioning the presence of pharmaceutical company representatives in a meeting with the Health Minister, she said ministers should not meet drug company agents.

She also questioned the need for the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) if such practices were allowed.

Sreemathy further alleged that children suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) had been subjected to experimentation, calling for a probe into the handling of the medicine.

Shailaja warned that the public healthcare system could suffer a setback if the concerns surrounding the drug were not addressed.

She alleged that the medicine quality checking mechanism had weakened and demanded disclosure of whether bioequivalence tests had been conducted.

She also sought an investigation into how the medicine was administered during the clinical trial and expressed concern over the composition of the task force examining the issue.

Alleging an attempt to promote private interests at the expense of public healthcare, she warned of a strong agitation if the government tried to undermine the public health system.

George said allegations that children had been subjected to drug trials were shocking to the conscience.

She claimed that a technical committee had recommended considering generic medicines, but the tender was floated only in September, after the change of government.

She questioned whether a technical evaluation had been conducted and demanded that the government produce evidence if it had.

She also alleged that sample packets did not carry the KMSCL name and that parents had been threatened over returning them.

George also said the government must disclose the required approvals, if obtained, and address the concerns of the affected children’s parents.

The three leaders’ joint intervention puts the new government under pressure to respond to questions over drug procurement, testing procedures and safeguards for children with SMA.

Muraleedharan, son of former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, is no political novice himself and is expected to give a reply to the three CPI-M leaders soon.

–IANS

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