Karnataka Health Minister Claims No Shortage Of Medicines In Government Hospitals

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao on Tuesday said there is no shortage of medicines and drugs in the state's government hospitals.

Replying to a debate on health department issues in the Assembly, Gundurao said the procurement of drugs was delayed a bit as the government brought in reforms in the functioning of the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL).

"We have appointed an IAS officer as head of the corporation. We mandate a two-to-three-week quarantine for procured drugs to ensure their quality. We are conducting a quality check of every drug from accredited labs. These reforms caused some delay in the supply of drugs and medicines. But now the situation is okay. We have released Rs 30 crore for the procurement of medicines and drugs. So there is not shortage of necessary drugs in government hospitals," he said.

He was replying to the opposition's allegation that government hospitals lacked a supply of necessary drugs and that patients were being asked to purchase them from private medical shops.

Not satisfied with the Minister's reply, Opposition members, led by Opposition leader R. Ashoka, staged a walkout, accusing the health minister of misleading the house while government hospitals across the state suffered from a non-supply of necessary medicines.

'New KFD Vaccine By Year End'

Gundurao told the Assembly that a new vaccine to treat Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is expected to be available in the market by the end of 2026. Replying to a debate on health department issues, Gundurao said that the Indian Immunologicals Limited, Hyderabad, has invented a new vaccine, and clinical trials are underway. "I hope clinical trials will be over soon and the vaccine will be available for use by the end of this year," he added.

KFD is a disease caused by the KFD virus, first found in the Kyasanur forest in India. People with KFD usually develop symptoms three to eight days after being infected with the virus. Sudden onset of chills, fever, and headache are some of the common symptoms.

Gundurao said that inventing a new vaccine was necessary after the existing vaccine proved ineffective in curing KFD. "Realising the importance of a new drug, I personally met the head of the Indian Council for Medical Research and stressed the need for inventing a new virus. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in turn, directed the Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) to invent a new vaccine," he added.

He said that the government has taken necessary steps to prevent deaths due to KFD. "In 2024, 14 people have died of KFD. But this year, only one person has died," he said.

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