Thiruvananthapuram: Health minister K Muraleedharan has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into stockpiles of expired medicines procured for govt health institutions over the past decade. He has directed the health department to submit a detailed report within one month.In a directive to the principal secretary (health), the minister said a significant quantity of medicines purchased for govt hospitals had expired over the years, resulting in substantial financial losses to the state. He said the issue warranted a thorough review of procurement, inventory management and distribution practices to identify systemic shortcomings and prevent similar wastage.The inquiry will examine procurement and stock management over the past ten years. It will document the year-wise and institution-wise quantity and value of expired medicines, identify stocks procured through Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd (KMSCL) and other agencies that later expired, and determine the reasons for excess procurement and the subsequent wastage.The minister also ordered a detailed assessment of KMSCL, the state’s nodal agency for procuring, warehousing and distributing medicines to govt health institutions. The review will evaluate its procurement planning, inventory management, stock rotation and redistribution of medicines nearing expiry.The department has also been asked to report the expenditure incurred in collecting and scientifically disposing of expired medicines, identify lapses in procurement, stock management and monitoring, and recommend corrective measures. Officials have been directed to prepare an inventory of all expired medicines currently stored in govt health institutions and KMSCL warehouses, supported by photographic evidence.Govt initiated the inquiry after reports revealed large quantities of medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits lying unused in KMSCL’s warehouses across the state. Preliminary estimates suggest stocks worth several crores of rupees became unusable after remaining in storage beyond their expiry dates.The expired stocks, reportedly spread across KMSCL’s 16 warehouses, include life-saving medicines. The inquiry is expected to quantify the losses, fix responsibility for procurement and inventory management failures, and recommend measures to strengthen stock management and prevent recurrence.
