Thiruvananthapuram | Keralam Minister K Muraleedharan on Saturday said there was no cause for concern over the medicines being administered to children with spinal muscular atrophy, adding that he would provide further clarification on the issue in the state Assembly on October 26.

Responding to reporters' queries here about allegations by CPI(M) leaders that medicines used in clinical trials were being administered to children with spinal muscular atrophy, Muraleedharan said the concerns had been addressed by the doctors treating the patients.

"People had concerns, but the doctors have addressed them. The treating doctors themselves have cleared the doubts," the state Health minister said.

The minister referred to statements by three doctors whom he described as being close to the LDF, saying they had found no anomaly in the medicines administered to the patients.

He said he would provide further details in the Assembly on October 26, where the matter could be discussed in detail.

The controversy arose after CPI(M) central committee members P K Sreemathi and K K Shailaja, along with state committee member Veena George, who served as Health Ministers during the previous LDF government, raised concerns over the distribution of low-cost, Indian-made medicines to children with spinal muscular atrophy CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan also questioned the quality of the medicine.

Spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting due to the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem.