Keralakaumudi impact: After long neglect, KSDP gets Rs 63 crore order from government

KANNUR: The medical service corporation for long played its cunning game to neglect Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals from receiving any order of medicines. Now, the government in a corrective measure has given Rs 63 crore worth of medicine orders to KSDP.

If norms are to be followed, 70% of medicines required for hospitals in the state should be purchased from KSDP. Never did it happen, since the medical service corporation always made it mandatory to not give orders to KSDP. The order usually went for big pharmaceutical companies stationed in other states. On May 18, Keralakaumudi published the news titled ‘ KSDP left out by Government’. The corrective measure is assumed to be the impact brought by the news.

92 varieties of medicines, mostly used for fever to diabetes are produced by KSDP. By next year, KSDP hopes to complete the production of medicines for cancer. Last year, the medical service corporation allotted Rs 64 crore for KSDP, but the number shrunk to just Rs 7 crore this year.

Some officers in the medical service corporation favored private players in the game ignoring KSDP. The neglect happened at a time when KSDP medicines were hugely marketed even in other states.