Thiruvananthapuram: Former health minister P K Sreemathi said her criticism in the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) drug controversy was aimed at medicines labelled for clinical trials reaching a govt hospital, not at the use of generic medicines.She was responding to criticism of CPM over a press conference that three former health ministers held on the issue. Sreemathi said the leaders had raised concerns voiced by parents of children with SMA, and that their criticism was limited.She said the previous LDF govt had ordered a technical examination of the SMA medicine. It appointed a technical committee to study the drug, after which a four-month gap followed before procurement could proceed after quality checks and tendering.Sreemathi said thousands of generic medicines had been procured after Veena George took charge as health minister. Many of the 800 medicines on the essential drugs list, she said, were generics bought through tenders at lower prices.“Getting medicines at lower prices is a good thing. But sample medicines should not reach govt hospitals,” she said, questioning how a medicine labelled for clinical trials had reached SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.The govt must clarify how the medicine reached the hospital and why it was given to a patient, she said. According to Sreemathi, the issue was not merely technical, as a child’s mother had raised concerns that needed a clear answer from the govt.She also said doctors were responsible for explaining a medicine to parents and making sure they understood the implications when a drug meant for clinical trials was administered. Sreemathi maintained that CPM was not opposed to generic medicines, and that the press conference was meant to raise parents’ concerns and seek clarity on how the SMA drug was supplied..
