The Kerala government has ordered a comprehensive departmental inquiry into the procurement of medical equipment by the Health Department over the past 10 years, following allegations that machinery worth hundreds of crores remains unused in hospitals and medical colleges across the state.
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said the decision was taken after receiving multiple complaints that expensive medical equipment purchased for government healthcare institutions had been left idle for years instead of being put into service.
“The decision for the probe was taken based on complaints that equipment worth crores purchased for medical colleges and various hospitals has been kept without use. I also personally verified such complaints,” the minister said.
Muraleedharan urged people not to politicise the inquiry, stressing that its objective is to identify systemic failures and improve public healthcare administration rather than target individuals.
According to the minister, the investigation will examine why costly equipment was procured despite the state facing financial constraints that affected the recruitment of healthcare staff and the procurement of essential medicines. The inquiry will also verify allegations that some purchases may have been influenced by commission-based dealings.
The probe will cover purchases made under the State Plan Fund, centrally sponsored schemes including the PMSY Fund, and procurement carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Equipment supplied by the Central Government but later left unused in storage facilities will also come under scrutiny.
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The decision to launch the inquiry follows the Health Minister’s recent visit to Wayanad Medical College, where he witnessed several instances of valuable medical equipment lying unused. The observations prompted the government to expand the investigation to cover all 14 districts of Kerala.
As part of the process, the Health Department will review procurement records district-wise, while the Finance Department will examine the financial aspects of each purchase. If evidence of irregularities or corruption emerges, the cases will be referred to the Vigilance Department for further investigation.
Officials have pointed to several examples highlighting the scale of the issue. At Wayanad Medical College, mobile mortuaries and other equipment were reportedly found dumped in storage without being used. At Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, an autoclave machine was seen lying exposed to sun and rain outside the Super Speciality Block instead of being installed for medical use.
In another instance, two oxygen concentrators supplied to Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic have reportedly become non-functional after remaining unused. At Peroorkada District Model Hospital, a 100-kilowatt solar power plant was installed but has still not been connected to the electricity grid, leaving the project unutilised.
Officials believe prolonged neglect may have rendered several of the machines beyond repair, resulting in significant financial losses to the Health Department. The inquiry aims to identify administrative lapses, determine accountability for the waste of public funds, and recommend measures to ensure that future medical equipment purchases are properly planned, installed and utilised for patient care.
The Kerala government has indicated that the findings of the inquiry could pave the way for disciplinary action and vigilance investigations wherever financial irregularities or misuse of public resources are established
