Kerala Orders Expert Probe into Alleged Use of Expired Remdesivir on Nipah Patients

**Kozhikode, October 31, 2026:** The Kerala government has ordered an expert-level investigation into allegations that expired doses of Remdesivir may have been administered to Nipah patients at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital between 2023 and 2025. Health Minister K Muraleedharan announced that the government would take further action after receiving the findings of an expert committee. According to a report by India Today citing PTI, the medicine was originally procured in 2021 and had an expiry date of May 30, 2023. The investigation will examine whether expired doses were administered to patients, whether any adverse effects occurred and whether there were lapses in the procurement and supply process. **Government Seeks Detailed Investigation** The expert committee, headed by Dr Aravind, will examine the procurement of the medicine, its distribution and the possible involvement of intermediaries and pharmaceutical companies. The committee will also investigate concerns regarding the medicine's packaging and the information printed on it. The Health Minister clarified that the inquiry concerns the suspected use of medicine after its expiry date, rather than the general quality or effectiveness of Remdesivir. **Hospital Records Under Examination** According to details presented in the Kerala Assembly, 3,000 vials of Remdesivir were procured through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited in June 2021 for Rs 42 lakh. The government is examining hospital records to establish which batches were administered and whether the medicine was within its validity period. Health authorities have also been instructed to collect information about patients who received Remdesivir under similar circumstances. **Final Decision After Committee Report** The state government has said that further decisions will be taken after the expert committee submits its findings. The investigation is intended to establish the facts surrounding the alleged use of expired medicine and identify any possible administrative or procurement failures.