Mon Sep 01 15:16:10 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Medical device suppliers in Kerala, represented by the Chamber of Distributors of Medical Implants and Disposables (CDMID), have halted deliveries to government hospitals and medical colleges due to ₹158.7 crore in unpaid bills. Essential devices like guide wires, catheters, balloons, and stents are affected. The CDMID cited meetings with government officials that did not result in promised payments. They are requesting immediate payment of outstanding invoices from various government health schemes to resume supplies. Major hospitals including Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Kannur, and Ernakulam are impacted. The government has yet to respond.

**News Article:**

**Kerala Hospitals Face Device Shortage as Suppliers Halt Deliveries Over Unpaid Bills**

**Kozhikode, September 1, 2025:** Government hospitals and medical college hospitals across Kerala are facing a potential medical device shortage as suppliers have ceased deliveries due to a mounting debt of ₹158.7 crore. The Chamber of Distributors of Medical Implants and Disposables (CDMID), representing suppliers of crucial devices used in cardiology and interventional radiology, announced the halt effective immediately.

The CDMID stated that the decision was made as a last resort after repeated attempts to secure payment from the state government. According to a letter sent to the government and hospital superintendents on August 29th, distributors are struggling to procure new stock due to the outstanding debts.

“We were assured that we would be receiving some payments in August,” the letter stated. “To date, we are not able to pay the principal suppliers to procure stocks, and distributors across Kerala are running out of guide wires, guide catheters, PTCA balloons, and coronary stents.”

The suppliers are demanding immediate payment for invoices related to the Karunya Benevolent Fund (KBF), Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padathi (KSAP), and Medisep, all government-backed health insurance schemes, up to March 31, 2025.

Major government hospitals are significantly affected. Government Medical College Hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Kottayam are owed ₹29.56 crore, ₹34.90 crore, and ₹21 crore respectively. Pariyaram Medical College Hospital in Kannur is owed ₹13.96 crore, and Ernakulam General Hospital is owed ₹13.74 crore.

As of press time, the Kerala government has not issued an official statement or invited the CDMID for discussions regarding the outstanding payments. The situation raises concerns about potential disruptions in patient care and the availability of essential medical procedures in government healthcare facilities.

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