Alarmingly Poor State of Drug Warehouses: A Damning Parliamentary Report on the Ministry of Health
A parliamentary report reveals alarming storage conditions for medications intended for public hospitals. With negligence and dysfunctions rampant, both health and financial risks are a major concern.
The warehouses, lacking electricity or air conditioning, infested with rodents, and structures damaged by humidity and mold, are where medications for public hospitals are stored. This is the harsh conclusion drawn by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in a special report titled "Warehousing of Pharmaceutical and Medical Disposables – Central Supplies Division (CSD), Ministry of Health and Wellness," submitted to the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Chaired by Adrien Duval, the opposition Whip, this bipartisan document is the result of multiple hearings and two site visits conducted in September and October 2025. It highlights serious dysfunctions in the management of pharmaceutical and medical device storage by the Central Supplies Division of the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
The report is based on the observations of the Director of Audit for the fiscal years 2021 to 2024. It emphasizes health risks as well as significant financial waste. It also reveals security flaws that could compromise the integrity of medications provided to patients in the public sector.
The stakes are considerable. According to cited data, the pharmaceutical stocks held by the CSD amounted to approximately Rs 1.8 billion as of June 30, 2023. Annual spending on purchasing medications, drugs, and vaccines reached nearly Rs 1.4 billion during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. At the same time, expired medications and medical supplies valued at around Rs 213 million were recorded in the system between January 2020 and August 2023.
Additional costs of Rs 83.3 million have been incurred for renting buildings and security and cleaning services, while Rs 28.6 million have been lost in storage and demurrage fees due to the lack of adequate centralized infrastructure.
Unacceptable Storage Conditions
The committee bluntly describes the state of the five warehouses operated by the CSD – four in Plaine Lauzun and one in New Grove. "Your Committee found that the warehouses used for storing medications and medical supplies are in a deplorable and severely degraded state," reads the report.
At least three warehouses in Plaine Lauzun lack adequate electrical facilities, depriving the premises of lighting, ventilation, and any air conditioning systems. Old buildings, formerly part of the Tobacco Board, are being used despite ongoing doubts about their official condemnation. The committee ironically notes that the Energy Services Division occupies the upper floor of the building with all electrical comforts, including lighting and air conditioning. In contrast, the ground floor, designated for medication storage, lacks such amenities.
The premises show evident signs of structural deterioration: damaged ceilings, excessive humidity, dust accumulation, cracks in the walls, and even banyan roots penetrating the structures. These conditions particularly expose sensitive medications, including pediatric formulations like infant paracetamol, to premature degradation due to temperatures and humidity levels exceeding manufacturers’ recommended standards.
Rodent Infestation and Public Health Link
Four of the five warehouses are affected by a rodent infestation, with Section C in Plaine Lauzun being the most affected. The report specifies that "packaging and boxes containing medications and liquid supplies are regularly damaged and compromised by rats." Visible entry points (holes and openings) were observed during site visits.
The committee finds this situation particularly concerning in the current context: "At the time this report is being drafted, the country is facing a significant outbreak of leptospirosis – a potentially deadly disease associated with rodent infestation – with about 15 reported cases and four deaths." It concludes that continuing to store in such conditions "is not merely an administrative or infrastructural failure but a serious and immediate public health issue requiring urgent corrective action."
Disorganization, Expirations, and System Failures
Storage planning is described as "chaotic and disorganized." Large quantities of medications expired since January 2025 occupy climate-controlled spaces in New Grove. Meanwhile, essential products – dialysis solutions, intravenous fluids, and surgical supplies – remain stored in the degraded rodent-infested buildings in Plaine Lauzun.
The electronic inventory management system (EIMS), intended to provide real-time tracking through barcodes, is deemed "totally inoperative." This failure is attributed to the lack of electricity, absence of network connectivity, and the inability to install terminals in certain buildings. Inventory management thus still relies on handwritten records and employees’ personal knowledge.
Bureaucratic delays related to disposing of expired products, subject to the Ministry of Environment’s approval, prolong their storage by several months. In some cases, this exceeds ten months, unnecessarily occupying valuable space.
Security Risks and Undignified Working Conditions
The report also points out serious shortcomings in safety and workplace health. Despite the high value of stocks, including highly controlled substances like methadone, no police sentinel is present during working hours. Moreover, no surveillance cameras are installed inside storage areas.
Barrels of highly flammable alcohol are stored in direct sunlight and manually transferred without appropriate equipment, creating a significant fire hazard. No fire safety certificate has been issued for the Plaine Lauzun warehouses, and systems for sprinklers, hydrants, or alarms are lacking.
Conditions are particularly alarming in Section C, where a worker operates in an environment "in an advanced state of disintegration," with pieces of the ceiling having fallen during the committee's visit. The report emphasizes: "No one should be required to work in conditions that pose such serious risks to their health and safety." No personal protective equipment is provided to staff, and no health and safety certificate has been issued for the warehouses.
In New Grove, toxic fogging chemicals intended for mosquito control leak near boxes of medications, without adequate ventilation or protection for the agents.
Urgent Recommendations
In light of this situation, the PAC considers constructing a modern centralized warehouse as "a top priority and urgent." The project, contemplated since 2009, has seen its estimated cost rise from around Rs 60 million to 2.2 billion without realization. The committee recommends the immediate establishment of a high-level Steering Committee to finalize the site and expedite its implementation.
While awaiting concrete measures, a series of urgent actions are recommended. These include the priority installation of electricity and air conditioning systems, rehabilitation of warehouses, as well as the immediate transfer of Section C to New Grove and the complete operationalization of the EIMS.
The report specifically recommends the swift disposal of expired medications, as well as the installation of surveillance cameras and the permanent presence of an armed police sentinel. It also advocates for the establishment of fire safety infrastructures, segregation of hazardous chemicals, and the provision of protective equipment to staff.
In its conclusion, the committee does not hide its concern: "Your Committee notes that the conditions observed […] fall dramatically below the very standards that the Ministry itself demands of others in its capacity as a regulator." It asserts that these failures place public sector patients "at a significant disadvantage" compared to those in the private sector and raise "serious concerns about taxpayers’ money" and the effective use of public funds.
This special report was unanimously approved by its members.
Composition of the Public Accounts Committee
The Public Accounts Committee currently consists of:
Chairman: Adrien Duval, opposition Whip
Kugan Parapen, Junior Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, and elected member of Rezistan sek Alternativ
- Tony Apollon, MMM
- Ram Etwareea, MMM
- Francisco François, OPR
- Shridhur Jugurnauth, MMM
- Dr. Sandeep Prayag, PTr
- Kaviraj Rookny, PTr
- Reza Saumtally, PTr
- Manoj Seeburn, PTr
