₹30 cr medical equipment goes to waste across Kerala medical colleges; 200 ventilators damaged

Medical equipment worth around ₹30 crore purchased for 12 medical colleges across Kerala has become unusable, with poor maintenance and ageing blamed for the damage.

A committee of experts has found that around 300 pieces of equipment have been damaged, including nearly 200 ventilators, according to a report submitted by the Director of Medical Education to the Health Principal Secretary.
The report covers equipment costing more than ₹3 lakh each.

The extent of the loss is likely to rise once inspections at district hospitals and primary health centres are completed. There are also reports that equipment supplied to some institutions under the Directorate of Health Services remains unopened in its boxes.

Most of the damaged equipment was purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic with central assistance.

At Kottayam Medical College alone, 41 ventilators, each costing between ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh, have become unusable. The ventilators were purchased to set up special wards and emergency treatment facilities but can no longer be used as they were not repaired.

The report also points to expensive microscopes being damaged by mould at several medical colleges. Some of the microscopes cost close to ₹1 crore each.

The unavailability of spare parts has also hampered efforts to repair the equipment.

The exact extent of the financial loss will be known only after an audit by the biomedical team is completed. The committee has recommended that the audit be launched soon.

The committee was constituted in July to examine equipment purchased by hospitals across the state over the past 10 years.