Three former Kerala Health Ministers who served under successive Left Democratic Front (LDF) governments came together in Thiruvananthapuram on 22 October 2026 to mount a coordinated attack on current Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, accusing him of mishandling the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) drug controversy and endangering the future of the state's public healthcare system.

The three — P.K. Sreemathy (Health Minister, 2006–2011), K.K. Shailaja (2016–2021), and Veena George (2021–2026) — shared a common platform, representing three consecutive phases of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) stewardship of the health portfolio. Their joint intervention is being seen as an attempt to hold the new government accountable on drug procurement, testing procedures, and safeguards for children diagnosed with SMA.

The SMA Drug Controversy at the Centre

Sreemathy alleged that Muraleedharan had taken charge of the Health Department in a 'casual manner', warning that the sector's achievements over the previous decade were at risk. She alleged that the SMA medicine controversy had exposed 'serious lapses' and called for a formal investigation.

Sreemathy also questioned the presence of pharmaceutical company representatives at a meeting with the Health Minister, arguing that ministers should not hold such meetings with drug company agents. She further raised doubts about the relevance of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) if such practices were permitted. Most seriously, she alleged that children suffering from SMA had been subjected to 'experimentation', calling for a probe into how the medicine was administered.

Shailaja's Warnings on Drug Quality and the Task Force

Shailaja warned that the public healthcare system could suffer a serious setback if the concerns surrounding the drug remained unaddressed. She alleged that the medicine quality-checking mechanism had weakened under the new government and demanded disclosure of whether bioequivalence tests had been conducted on the drug in question.

She also sought clarity on how the medicine was administered during what she described as a clinical trial, and raised concerns about the composition of the task force set up to examine the issue. Alleging an attempt to promote private interests at the expense of public healthcare, Shailaja warned of a 'strong agitation' if the government moved to undermine the public health system.

Veena George on Tendering and Parent Complaints

George said the allegations that children had been subjected to drug trials were 'shocking to the conscience'. She claimed a technical committee had recommended considering generic medicines, but that the tender was floated only in September — after the change of government — raising questions about deliberate delay.

George also alleged that sample packets of the medicine did not carry the KMSCL name, and that parents had reportedly been threatened when they attempted to return them. She demanded that the government disclose all required approvals obtained for the drug and urged it to address the concerns raised by the parents of affected children.

Who Is Muraleedharan — and What Comes Next

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, the son of former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, is no political novice and is expected to respond to the three CPI-M leaders shortly, according to reports. Notably, both Shailaja and George lost their seats in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, while Sreemathy has not contested an election since losing her Kannur Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

The joint press conference significantly raises the political stakes around the SMA drug row, and the government will now face pressure to provide detailed, evidence-backed answers on procurement procedures, testing protocols, and the welfare of children with SMA enrolled in the drug programme. How Muraleedharan and the new government respond will likely set the tone for the opposition's health-sector campaign in the coming months.