Jebi Mather says fake-drug raids expose Kerala’s ‘utter failure’; Brittas hits back: ‘They came from outside’
New Delhi: Congress MP Jebi Mather Hisham on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Kerala’s Drugs Control Department in the Rajya Sabha, alleging that a series of statewide raids has uncovered a disturbing surge of counterfeit and substandard medicines circulating in the market.
Her remarks triggered an immediate protest from CPI(M) MP John Brittas, who accused her of misleading the House. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Hisham said inspections in Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Thiruvananthapuram had “revealed a shocking truth”—that spurious medicines had infiltrated Kerala’s pharmaceutical supply chain on an unprecedented scale.
“This is not a minor lapse. These raids expose the utter failure and shameful inefficiency of the state’s drug control department,” she said. “Its negligence has enabled an unregulated network of manufacturers and marketing companies from outside Kerala to push substandard medicines into the state.”
While acknowledging that counterfeit pharmaceuticals were a nationwide concern, the Congress MP squarely blamed the Kerala government for what she termed a collapse of oversight and regulatory vigilance.
Hisham further alleged that the state’s wider healthcare infrastructure was deteriorating. She cited reports from Trivandrum Medical College, claiming doctors were compelled to make public the shortage of even basic surgical tools.
“Surgeries are being indefinitely postponed. Operation theatres remain unused due to a lack of maintenance and supplies,” she said, adding that the burden of purchasing surgical items had been shifted onto patients. “This is not a mere administrative lapse—this is complete misgovernance.”
The MP also referred to the recent building collapse at Kottayam Medical College, which resulted in casualties, calling it “a painful symbol of the collapsing healthcare system under the LDF government.” As she moved to name Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chair intervened and stopped her.
Hisham urged the Centre to direct the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to conduct a comprehensive probe into the functioning of Kerala’s Drugs Control Department to “restore transparency and ensure the safety and quality of medicines across the state.”
CPI(M) MP John Brittas immediately objected, invoking Rule 258 and insisting that no member be allowed to “mislead the House.” He argued that all detected spurious medicines originated outside Kerala and credited the state machinery for uncovering them.
He also demanded that Hisham’s remarks, allegedly casting aspersions on the Chief Minister, be expunged from the parliamentary record. “Please delete that,” he urged the Chair. The Chair responded, saying: “I will look into it.”