Kerala's state government has ordered a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) probe into alleged corruption and wasteful expenditure after 224 iPhones purchased for ₹7.16 crore were found lying unused in government hospitals — with several handsets reportedly missing. The disclosure was made in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Monday, 26 October 2026, by Health Minister K. Muraleedharan.

What Was Revealed in the Assembly

The issue was raised as a submission by Congress MLA Abin Varkey Kodiyattu, prompting Health Minister Muraleedharan to confirm the scale of the procurement irregularities. Beyond the iPhones, the minister disclosed that 128 ventilators supplied under the PM CARES scheme remain unused across four government medical colleges — in Kottayam, Manjeri, Kannur, and Kozhikode. Fundus cameras purchased alongside the phones are also lying idle.

Two oxygen generator plants supplied to Alappuzha Medical College through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) have additionally failed to produce oxygen at the required volume and pressure, and have not been made fully operational. Unused equipment has further been identified at Health Department institutions in Wayanad and Ernakulam.

COVID-Era Purchases Under the Scanner

Much of the equipment under scrutiny was reportedly procured during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the first Pinarayi Vijayan government was in office. However, the inquiry is not limited to that period — it covers purchases made at other times as well. The government cited concerns over quality, operational reliability, and maintenance costs as reasons for the prolonged non-use of several items.

This is not an isolated instance: procurement irregularities in pandemic-era medical equipment have surfaced in multiple states, often pointing to compressed procurement timelines, inadequate technical specification checks, and insufficient post-installation oversight.

Government Response and Special Team

Health Minister Muraleedharan said the government has appointed a special team headed by the Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department to examine equipment quality, the justification for each purchase, installation failures, and the reasons for prolonged non-use. Reports relating to medical colleges have already been received and are under examination.

The minister stated that public money spent on medical equipment 'could not be allowed to go to waste' and that official accountability would be examined. The government is also reportedly considering redistributing usable equipment to hospitals where it is needed. Existing mechanisms — including a Biomedical Equipment Maintenance Programme and district-level monitoring committees — are being reviewed in this context.

What the VACB Probe Will Cover

The proposed VACB investigation is expected to examine procurement decisions, vendor selection, installation failures, and the chain of responsibility for equipment that was bought at significant public cost but never put to use. The missing iPhones add a potential criminal dimension to what might otherwise be a case of administrative negligence. The probe's scope and timeline have not yet been formally announced.

What Comes Next

With formal VACB orders expected to follow the Assembly disclosure, attention will turn to which officials are named in the inquiry and whether procurement irregularities are traced back to specific contracts or vendors. The redistribution plan for usable equipment — including the ventilators — could, if executed, partially redeem the public expenditure involved. Legislators and civil society groups are likely to keep pressure on the government to ensure the probe is not merely procedural.