Thiruvananthapuram, October 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Kerala government will order a probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) into alleged corruption and wasteful expenditure in medical equipment procurement after 224 iPhones worth ₹7.16 crore were found lying unused in government hospitals, with several phones reportedly missing.
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan announced the decision in the Assembly on Monday after Congress MLA Abin Varkey Kodiyattu raised the issue.
The concerns extend beyond the iPhones and fundus cameras to other costly medical equipment that remains unused or has failed to function as intended. These include 128 ventilators supplied under the PM CARES scheme that are lying unused at four government medical colleges, as well as two oxygen generator plants at Alappuzha Medical College that have failed to deliver oxygen at the required volume and pressure.
The unused ventilators are located at government medical colleges in Kottayam, Manjeri, Kannur and Kozhikode. The government cited concerns about equipment quality, operational reliability and maintenance costs.
The two oxygen generator plants supplied to Alappuzha Medical College through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) have not been made fully operational.
Much of the equipment under scrutiny was purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the first Pinarayi Vijayan government was in office. However, the proposed inquiry will also cover purchases made during other periods.
Muraleedharan said the government had appointed a special team headed by the Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department to examine the quality of the equipment, the justification for the purchases, installation failures and the reasons for prolonged non-use.
Reports concerning medical colleges have been received and are being examined. Unused equipment has also been identified at Health Department institutions in Wayanad and Ernakulam.
The minister said public money spent on medical equipment could not be allowed to go to waste. The government would examine the responsibility of officials and take appropriate action, he added.
The government is also considering redistributing usable equipment to hospitals where it is needed. It has a Biomedical Equipment Maintenance Programme and district-level monitoring mechanisms to oversee equipment maintenance.
The proposed VACB investigation comes amid questions over procurement decisions, installation failures and the prolonged non-use of expensive equipment intended to strengthen public healthcare in the state.
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