Now Reading: Expired Remdesivir given to Nipah patients in Kerala, probe ordered
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Expired Remdesivir given to Nipah patients in Kerala, probe ordered
The Story in Brief
Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan told the Assembly on Thursday, 29 October 2026, that Remdesivir which expired in May 2023 was administered to patients, including those treated for Nipah infection, at hospitals in subsequent years. He ordered an investigation into whether the expired drug contributed to patient deaths.
The minister said the medicine was purchased in 2021 and carried an expiry date of 30 May 2023. Records showed expired vials were used in 2024 and 2025, including for Nipah patients at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. A medical board has been constituted under Dr Aravind, head of the Infectious Diseases Department, to examine the matter. The Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services have been directed to collect details of all patients who received the medicine.
The Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited purchased 3,000 vials of Remdesivir for Rs 42 lakh on 3 June 2021. Records cited in the Assembly indicated that 102 vials were used in 2023-24, 34 in 2024-25 and 10 in 2025-26 after their expiry. The minister said 50 vials used in the current financial year were procured from Bahrain for a Nipah patient.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both yespunjab.com and The Hindu report the same core facts: the purchase date, expiry, vial counts, and the medical board under Dr Aravind. The coverage is uniform straight reporting with no discernible slant. The disclosure that expired Remdesivir was used across three financial years raises questions about drug storage and expiry monitoring, but neither outlet attributes blame or offers government-critical framing. The investigation will clarify whether the expired drug contributed to deaths and whether other patients suffered adverse effects. The next step is the medical board's findings.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): yespunjab.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
