In Kerala, where the drug trade is worth Rs 15,000 crore per year, the government should come forward to control those who give consideration to drug companies. While a large number of doctors in society are philanthropic and compassionate, to please commercial companies only a few write the brand name rather than the generic name of the medicine. It is the poor and common patients who are affected by their actions aimed at financial gain and other benefits.

Six months after the National Medical Commission's directive to prescribe the generic names of medicines instead of brands, a good number of doctors are still prescribing the brand name. The suffering patients are asking why the health department does not have a system to check this. Since the branded medicines prescribed by the doctors are not available in the pharmacies of the government hospitals, the patients are deprived of the benefit they are entitled to and they have to stop treatment as they are unable to buy this medicine from private medical stores by paying huge amount. The headline we published the other day covered the details of this issue.

There are doctors who say that they do not write the generic name because the drugs available in pharmacies are of low quality. If that is true then it is a very serious matter and needs to be addressed urgently. If there are seconds in medicine, the government should intervene directly because government hospitals and pharmacies are the only recourse for poor patients. Don't kill the people who come there and buy medicines by giving them low-quality medicines.

Ten percent of the drugs manufactured in India are sold in Kerala. Most antibiotics are sold in Kerala itself. Fewer states have medical stores in every junction like in Kerala. Malayalis are very concerned about health matters. However, it has been seen for some time now that the drug trade lobby is taking hold in the state seeing this as an opportunity. Rackets related to this are also active as huge commissions can be obtained on drug purchases etc. It is a fact that the condition of government hospitals has improved a lot after the Pinarayi cabinet came to power. However, recently there have been complaints that there is a shortage of medicines in the hospitals' pharmacies. The health department should take action to find a permanent solution to that problem. Also, those who do not write the generic name should be found and asked to act according to the instructions.

The work of KK Shailaja, who was in charge of the health department in the last cabinet, was noticed at the global level. Veena George, the minister in charge of the health department in the present cabinet, is doing a good job in her own style. Criticisms are natural in a democracy, but the blade of criticism is broken when the problems are solved as soon as possible and the poor and common people are relieved. The government should streamline the inspection of the drug market. Quality must be ensured. The minister herself should take the initiative. Things should not be delayed further.