Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday addressed the Opposition's allegations regarding the procurement of PPE kits at three times the market price during the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized that the pandemic period's urgency and unprecedented nature cannot be understood by merely looking at numbers.

Vijayan highlighted that the COVID-19 period was an unprecedented health emergency, necessitating urgent procurement of essential life-saving equipment. He stated, “The government had the responsibility to protect healthcare workers' lives, and necessary life-saving equipment was procured urgently. PPE kits were essential for COVID-19 treatment and prevention, and without them, healthcare workers would have been at risk.”

The Chief Minister explained that during the pandemic, there was an extraordinary demand for masks, sanitizers, PPE kits, and oximeters, many of which were not readily available. Despite the shortage, Kerala ensured that no one faced difficulties due to a lack of treatment, providing complete and free treatment.

Misleading price comparisons
Vijayan pointed out that comparing the pre-pandemic market rate of ₹545 with prices during the pandemic, when raw materials were scarce and transportation and imports were challenging, was misleading. He noted, “Despite providing a detailed explanation in November 2023, the same issue was raised again in the audit report.”

He also mentioned that the government decided to expedite the procurement process to ensure the urgent availability of necessary items, rather than delaying and risking lives. The Chief Minister reiterated that the situation was unprecedented, and it was impossible to predict the duration of the health emergency or when COVID-19 would end.