Kerala: Medical suppliers halt stent, guide wire supplies
Medical device suppliers in Kerala have stopped sending essential items like stents and guide wires to government hospitals, after not being paid ₹158.7 crore by the state.
The Chamber of Distributors of Medical Implants and Disposables (CDMID) says their finances are stretched thin, and despite meeting with the Finance Minister and the personal secretary to the Health Minister a month ago, no payments came through in August.
Suppliers can't restock until bills are cleared
Big government hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode owe tens of crores each, and suppliers say they can't restock until these bills—some tied to health schemes like Karunya—are cleared.
As of September 1, suppliers have refrained from replenishing consignment stock at all government centers.
With supplies running out fast and no word yet from the government, distributors are hoping for a quick fix so patient care doesn't take a bigger hit.