Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 22: Photos of Keralam Health Minister K Muraleedharan meeting representatives of a domestic pharmaceutical company surfaced on Thursday amid a row over the distribution of low-cost Indian-made medicines for children suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
After some television channels aired the photographs of the recent meeting at his office, Muraleedharan initially denied meeting any company representatives but later said he might have met several people at his office.
“That does not have any connection with the government’s decision (to provide Indian-made SMA medicines),” he told reporters in Kozhikode in response to a question.
Asked about the handing over of some documents to him, as seen in the photographs, the minister said people often gave him various documents and reports.
“But the government will not take any decision without discussing it with experts. Experts have endorsed the government’s decision on SMA medicines,” he said.
Muraleedharan also said it was a matter of shame that even after so many years of independence, medicines were not available to treat diseases of this kind.
On Wednesday, the minister said low-cost Indian-made SMA medicines were being provided to children based on the recommendations of an expert committee that assessed the quality of the drugs. He has also said the process was initiated during the tenure of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
The government decided to provide the new medicine for SMA, a genetic disorder, to more people at a lower cost, he has said. Responding to the issue of medicines labelled ‘doctor’s sample’ and ‘for clinical trials’ being administered to SMA patients, Muraleedharan said no written complaints have been received. LoP Pinarayi Vijayan demanded strict action against those responsible. (PTI)