The Central Government actively considered the fears and suggestions of the people of Kerala while amending the Patent Act, and the same were debated in the Parliament before enacting the legislation, claimed K K Ramachandran Master, health minister, Kerala.

He said Kamal Nath, union minister of commerce & industry, has informed the State Government that the patent amendment stressed to protect the interests of public health, and concern of the people of Kerala were actively considered before enacting the legislation.

The union minister's comments came in response to a letter written by the Kerala health minister a few months ago to the Central Government, in the backdrop of the Jeevani issue and campaign in the state against patent amendment. The letter had detailed issues like hike in prices of essential drugs, medicine shortage, intellectual property rights and related trade issues etc.

In response to this, the union minister informed availability of drugs and hike in drug prices were considered during the patent amendment. Ensuring availability of essential drugs at reasonable prices, meeting emergency situations, import of cheap drugs if required, strict monitoring and control on mailbox applications for patent rights etc. are some of the provisions included in the amendment in this direction, elaborated the union minister in his letter to the state health minister.

Reacting to the fears raised by the Kerala Ayurvedic community on the chances of losing patent rights of traditional ayurvedic medicines and herbs to overseas firms, the union minister informed the Department of AYUSH under the ministry of health and family welfare is in the process of collecting database of Indian ayurvedic drugs and to publicize the data in public domain to prevent others from establishing patent rights on traditional Indian medicines. The National Medicinal Plant Board (NMBP) is also engaged in protecting the rights of Indian medicinal plants and herbs, the Union Government informed, said K K Ramachandran.