Coimbatore and Karur hospitals halt use of Hindi-printed medicine covers

Government medical college hospitals in Coimbatore and Karur have ceased the distribution of medicine covers containing Hindi instructions following a political controversy regarding language policy. The covers, which included instructions in Tamil, English, and Hindi, sparked criticism from opposition leaders, including former minister TRB Rajaa, who suggested a shift toward a three-language policy in state hospitals.

Hospital authorities stated that the covers were ordered from a cooperative printing press in Erode in December 2025 to address shortages. Officials noted that while they typically use plain covers with Tamil instructions applied via rubber stamps, the printing press included Hindi text on the large-sized covers without specific instructions to do so.

Following the social media backlash, hospital administrations ordered the immediate removal of the controversial packaging. Pharmacists are currently using plain covers and manually writing dosage instructions in Tamil to ensure compliance with the state's two-language policy.