Thiruvananthapuram: Former health ministers have launched a scathing attack on the state government, alleging that Kerala’s healthcare system has fallen into disarray under Health Minister K. Muralidharan. Former health ministers Veena George, K.K. Shailaja, and P.K. Sreemathi raised serious allegations against the minister, including claims concerning the experimental use of medicines on children suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Addressing a joint press conference, the former ministers accused Muralidharan of failing to ensure public health and patient safety and declared that he had no moral right to continue in office.
P.K. Sreemathi strongly criticised Muralidharan’s attitude towards the Health Department, alleging that he had assumed responsibility for the portfolio with the impression that everything could be handled casually. She emphasised that managing a department as crucial as health was not a trivial responsibility and required serious attention, administrative competence, and accountability.
According to Sreemathi, the Health Department deals directly with people’s lives and well-being, making it essential for the minister to approach every issue with the utmost seriousness. However, she alleged that Muralidharan had consistently demonstrated an indifferent attitude towards important matters affecting the healthcare system.
Raising concerns over the treatment of children suffering from SMA, Sreemathi demanded greater transparency regarding the medicines administered to them. She said parents must be clearly informed about the nature of the medicines, their effectiveness, safety, and the procedures involved in administering them.
She questioned how medicines intended for clinical trials had been administered to children and what procedures had been followed before their use. The Health Department had a responsibility to address parents’ concerns and provide accurate information about the treatment, she stressed.
Sreemathi further demanded that the Health Department provide a detailed explanation regarding the allegations surrounding the drug trials. She maintained that no compromise could be permitted when children’s health and safety were at stake and that the concerns raised by parents must not be ignored.
She also called for an investigation into the alleged links between Health Minister K. Muralidharan and pharmaceutical companies, insisting that the matter required serious scrutiny.
Expressing concern about the future of Kerala’s public healthcare system, Sreemathi alleged that major corporate interests were increasingly taking control of hospitals. She warned that such developments could pose a significant threat to affordable healthcare, particularly for economically disadvantaged sections of society.
She pointed out that if government hospitals and public healthcare institutions were weakened, ordinary citizens would face severe financial difficulties in accessing medical treatment. The rising cost of treatment in private hospitals could place essential healthcare beyond the reach of many families, she cautioned.
Former Health Minister Veena George also levelled serious allegations against the Health Department, claiming that children suffering from SMA had been treated as experimental subjects.
She alleged that the procedures followed in connection with the administration of experimental medicines lacked transparency, creating widespread anxiety and uncertainty among parents.
According to George, the Health Department had failed to adequately communicate important information regarding the treatment and the procedures involved. She maintained that parents had every right to know the details of the medicines being administered to their children and the potential implications of such treatment.
George stressed that decisions concerning the health of children suffering from serious medical conditions must be taken with exceptional care and responsibility. She argued that the government should ensure complete transparency in medical procedures, particularly when experimental treatments are involved.
She further warned that a lack of openness in such matters could undermine public confidence in the healthcare system. The Health Department must take immediate steps to address parents’ concerns and restore trust in the treatment process, she said.
The former ministers also criticised the circumstances surrounding Muralidharan’s assumption of the Health Department portfolio. They alleged that he had specifically sought the department and had initially dismissed the challenges associated with managing it as insignificant.
However, they claimed that problems had begun emerging soon after he assumed office and that the department had since faced a series of controversies and administrative difficulties.
They accused Muralidharan of attempting to trivialise serious issues instead of acknowledging the concerns raised by patients, healthcare professionals, and the public.
The former ministers emphasised that the Health Department was not an institution that could remain free from criticism. Given its direct connection to public welfare, they said, its functioning would naturally be subject to constant scrutiny by the media and society.
They argued that criticism should be treated as an opportunity to identify shortcomings and implement corrective measures rather than being dismissed with ridicule.
Recalling their own tenures as health ministers, they said they had also faced criticism on various issues but had never approached such concerns with contempt or mockery.
They maintained that the criticism currently being directed at the Health Department by the media was based on legitimate concerns and factual issues that required clear explanations from the government.
The former ministers further accused Muralidharan of handling sensitive matters without sufficient fairness, accountability, or a sense of responsibility.
Highlighting the achievements of Kerala’s healthcare sector over the previous decade, the former ministers said the state had witnessed significant improvements in public health infrastructure and medical services during their respective tenures.
They pointed out that all three had served as health ministers for five-year terms and had contributed to strengthening the state’s public healthcare system.
According to them, the past ten years had been a period of remarkable progress, during which Kerala’s government hospitals underwent substantial improvements in infrastructure, facilities, and the availability of medical treatment.
They claimed that these developments had helped Kerala’s healthcare system earn recognition and appreciation both nationally and internationally.
The former ministers stressed that preserving these achievements and further strengthening public healthcare institutions should be a primary responsibility of successive governments and health ministers.
However, they alleged that the current administration’s approach to managing the Health Department threatened to undermine the progress achieved over the years.
They called for urgent intervention to restore confidence in the public healthcare system, ensure patient safety, and maintain transparency and accountability in the department’s functioning.
Reiterating their demands, Veena George, K.K. Shailaja, and P.K. Sreemathi called for a comprehensive investigation into the allegations concerning the experimental administration of medicines to children suffering from SMA.
They also demanded that the Health Department provide clear answers to the questions raised by parents and explain the procedures followed in administering the medicines.
The former ministers concluded that K. Muralidharan had failed to demonstrate the seriousness and responsibility required to lead such an important department. They reiterated their position that he was unfit to continue as Kerala’s health minister, accusing him of treating critical public health issues as trivial matters.
