SMA drug row: Health minister says Natco Pharma meeting unrelated to government decision

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Visuals of representatives of Natco Pharma meeting Health Minister K Muraleedharan have emerged amid the ongoing controversy over medication for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The company representatives met the minister on August 5 in the presence of the superintendent of SAT Hospital. Following the circulation of the images, Muraleedharan responded to the controversy, saying the meeting was for corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related purposes.

“Many people may have come to meet me at my office. That has nothing to do with the decision. A complainant and an accused person may both have come to my office to meet me. Many people submit documents, and I also receive reports about their products. The Health Department does not take any decision without examining such material and discussing it with experts,” the minister said.

He maintained that the government’s decision in the SMA case was correct, adding that Dr Iqbal and others had also said the decision was correct.

“Isn’t it a shame that, even after so many years of independence, India still does not have a medicine to treat a disease like this? Would the Health Minister know the quality of the medicine? I would have to be a doctor to know that,” he said.

Muraleedharan assured that no data belonging to Kerala would be leaked during his tenure as health minister.

“I can give a 100 per cent assurance that no data belonging to Kerala will be leaked during my tenure as minister,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Health Department has decided to convene a meeting to address the concerns of parents whose children were given Natco Pharma’s medicine. An investigation may also be announced into the distribution of medicine packets labelled “Physician Sample”.