PAC: Adrien Duval Accused of Politicizing the Medication Issue

Five members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have publicly distanced themselves from the statements made by the committee's president, Adrien Duval, regarding the special report on the storage of medications at the Central Supplies Division (CSD) of the Ministry of Health. In a public statement, the signatories accuse Adrien Duval of making a "political, partisan, and demagogic" use of the report published on April 23, 2026.

These PAC members assert their full support for the findings and recommendations of the report, which highlights structural issues related to the storage conditions of medications, based on audit reports covering the years 2021-2024 as well as visits made to Plaine-Lauzun and New-Grove in October 2025.

However, they criticize Adrien Duval for exceeding the scope of the report during his media appearances by attributing responsibility for the situation to the current government and calling for the resignation of the Minister of Health. According to them, this approach constitutes a political manipulation of an issue concerning public health.

The signatories also believe that some of the statements made by the PAC president have contributed to eroding public trust in the healthcare system, particularly when it was suggested that the storage conditions of medications directly endangered patients' lives. They argue that certain claims, especially regarding an infestation, were not supported by observations made during the committee's visits.

In their statement, the PAC members also indicate that explanations provided by officials from the Ministry of Health have not been publicly communicated. They specifically mention efforts made to identify a new medication storage site, including a building owned by the Mauritius Development Bank, which would require costly remediation due to the presence of asbestos.

While reaffirming their commitment to the role of the PAC and the principle that its presidency traditionally belongs to a member of the opposition, the signatories clarify that they are not questioning Adrien Duval's presidency at this time. However, they have brought to the attention of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra, what they consider to be "an abuse of power" by the committee's president.