T’puram: Health minister K Muraleedharan triggered a controversy in the assembly on Tuesday after he said that only a medicine for the “disease of losing power” was not available.His remarks came amid a debate on the medicine stock situation in the state.The opposition had sought leave for an adjournment motion alleging a shortage of medicines and other serious problems in government hospitals, but the minister dismissed the allegations as exaggerated.The adjournment motion was moved by CPM MLA K V Sumesh, who alleged that the state’s healthcare system was in critical condition. The debate soon turned confrontational, with the opposition accusing the minister of treating the reported shortage of medicines lightly and the minister blaming the previous LDF govt for financial and procurement-related problems.Replying to the motion, Muraleedharan said medicine procurement had been affected in March because purchase orders were not issued, citing Model Code Of Conduct. He also alleged that the previous LDF govt had accumulated substantial arrears payable to pharmaceutical companies, affecting the procurement process.The minister acknowledged that there were some difficulties in the availability of 26 medicines but said steps had been taken to resolve the issue urgently. He maintained that the situation was not as serious as portrayed by the opposition and accused it of exaggerating the problem.
