Now Reading: Kerala to act after probe into expired Nipah drug use
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Kerala to act after probe into expired Nipah drug use
The Story in Brief
Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said the government will act after an expert panel probes allegations that expired Remdesivir was administered to Nipah patients in previous years. The probe follows a submission by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan in the State Assembly on Thursday, 29 October 2026.
Records show the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) bought 3,000 vials of Remdesivir on 3 June 2021 at Rs 42 lakh, with an expiry date of 30 May 2023. Kozhikode Medical College used 102 vials in 2023-24, 34 in 2024-25 and 10 in 2025-26. The state recorded six Nipah cases in 2023, two in 2024, three in 2025 and one in 2026. The minister said 50 vials used in 2026 were freshly procured from Bahrain on 12 June 2026. Critical care specialist Dr A S Anoop Kumar told The Hindu that Nipah patients who died were not given Remdesivir.
A medical board headed by Dr R Aravind will examine patient deaths and adverse effects. The Hans India reports the probe will also review whether drugs meant for clinical trials were supplied. Former Health Minister Veena George told The Hindu that the drug has a shelf life of 2.5 to 5 years. The government will decide after the panel submits its findings.
Update, 30 October 2026: The Hindu reports critical care specialist Dr A S Anoop Kumar said Nipah patients who died were not given Remdesivir, and former Health Minister Veena George said the drug has a shelf life of 2.5 to 5 years. The Hans India adds the Minister said the probe will also examine whether drugs meant for clinical trials were supplied during the Vijayan regime.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The three outlets largely report the same facts from Health Minister Muraleedharan's Friday press conference and his Thursday Assembly submission, each attributing the core allegation, that Remdesivir bought in June 2021 and expiring in May 2023 may have been used until 2025, to the Minister himself. Mathrubhumi and The Hindu lead with the promise of action after the expert panel report, while The Hans India adds the Minister's fresh claim that drugs meant for clinical trials may also have been supplied during the Vijayan regime, a detail not foregrounded by the other two. The Hindu alone includes a treating doctor's statement that Nipah patients who died were not given Remdesivir, and former Health Minister Veena George's comment that the drug's shelf life is 2.5 to 5 years.
Coverage: 3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
Sources (3): mathrubhumi.com (neutral report), thehansindia.com (government critical), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
