Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 26: The Kerala government has decided to order a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) probe into alleged corruption and wasteful expenditure in the procurement of medical equipment for government hospitals, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan disclosed in the Legislative Assembly on Monday. The issue was raised as a submission by Congress MLA Abin Varkey Kodiyattu, Nation Press and Report Wire reported.

Source: Nation Press

At the centre of the disclosure are 224 iPhones and fundus cameras bought for ₹7.16 crore — yaani about ₹716 lakh — which are lying unused, with several of the phones reportedly missing. The minister said public money spent on medical equipment must not be allowed to go to waste, and that official accountability would be examined.

Source: Report Wire

Ventilators and oxygen plants also under scrutiny

The disclosure also covered 128 ventilators supplied under the PM CARES scheme, which remain unused at government medical colleges in Kottayam, Manjeri, Kannur and Kozhikode. The government cited concerns over their quality, operational reliability and maintenance costs. Two oxygen generator plants supplied to Alappuzha Medical College through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) have failed to generate oxygen at the required volume and pressure and have not been made fully operational. Unused equipment has also been found in Health Department institutions in Wayanad and Ernakulam.

224iPhones bought for government hospitals, now lying unused, with several reportedly missing
₹7.16 croreCost of the iPhones and fundus cameras — yaani about ₹716 lakh
128PM CARES ventilators lying unused at four government medical colleges

Much of the equipment under scrutiny was procured during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the first Pinarayi Vijayan government was in office, but the inquiry will also examine purchases made at other times. A special team headed by the Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department will examine equipment quality, the justification for each purchase, installation failures and the reasons for prolonged non-use, and reports from the medical colleges have already been received and are under scrutiny.

The government is also considering redistributing usable equipment to hospitals where there is a demonstrated need. The scope and timeline of the VACB probe have not yet been formally announced, and the allegations of corruption and wasteful expenditure remain allegations under investigation, not findings.