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 had said no written complaints has been received.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, in a recent Facebook post, expressed shock over reports that experimental drugs meant for clinical trials were being given to children suffering from SMA without their parents’ consent.
He demanded strict action against those responsible.
SMA is a rare inherited genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and muscle atrophy.
Meanwhile, Dr Riyas, the Superintendent of the state-run SAT Hospital here, criticised attempts to portray the pharmaceutical company’s assistance in addressing the poor condition of the children’s ward at the hospital in a negative light.
The Sree Avittom Thirunal Hospital (popularly known as SAT Hospital) houses the state’s first government-sector Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) clinic.
In a statement, Dr Riyas said SATHHES, a society functioning as part of the hospital under the Charitable Societies Act, receives Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from various agencies, public and private sector institutions and individuals to improve patient care facilities and organise health education programmes.
Such funds are used from time to time to undertake various development activities related to patient care at the hospital, he said.
Following a direct visit by company representatives to assess the situation, the pharmaceutical company transferred the first instalment of Rs 25 lakh to the SATHHES account, the statement said.
Subsequently, the company representatives visited the health minister in the first week of August to hand over a certificate in this regard, he said.
The photograph taken amid a crowd during this visit was now being circulated to suggest that the minister had met the company representatives following the controversy over SMA medicines, Riyas said.
Stating that the allegations were baseless, the hospital superintendent urged those concerned to stop such campaigns and sought public support for the efforts being made by the government and SAT Hospital for the welfare of SMA patients.
He also urged that efforts to procure quality medicines for SMA patients at lower costs and make them available to a larger number of beneficiaries should not be undermined, the statement added.
(PTI News)
