Thiruvananthapuram | Photos of Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan meeting representatives of a domestic pharmaceutical company surfaced on Thursday amid a row over the distribution of low-cost Indian-made medicines for children suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
After some television channels aired the photographs of the recent meeting at his office, Muraleedharan initially denied meeting any company representatives but later said he might have met several people at his office.
"That does not have any connection with the government's decision (to provide Indian-made SMA medicines)," he told reporters in Kozhikode in response to a question.
Asked about the handing over of some documents to him, as seen in the photographs, the minister said people often gave him various documents and reports.
"But the government will not take any decision without discussing it with experts. Experts have endorsed the government's decision on SMA medicines," he said.
Muraleedharan also said it was a matter of shame that even after so many years of independence, medicines were not available to treat diseases of this kind.
On Wednesday, the minister had said low-cost Indian-made SMA medicines were being provided to children based on the recommendations of an expert committee that assessed the quality of the drugs.
He had also said the process was initiated during the tenure of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
The government decided to provide the new medicine for SMA, a genetic disorder, to more people at a lower cost, he had said.
Responding to the issue of medicines labelled 'doctor's sample' and 'for clinical trials' being administered to SMA patients, Muraleedharan had said no written complaints had been received.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, in a recent Facebook post, had expressed shock over reports that experimental drugs meant for clinical trials were being given to children suffering from SMA without their parents' consent. He had demanded strict action against those responsible.
SMA is a rare inherited genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and muscle atrophy.