Kerala Doctor Flags Equipment Shortage at Govt Hospital, Says Surgeries Delayed
A senior urologist from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College has raised concerns about a shortage of surgical equipment in his department. Dr. Haris Chirakkal, who heads the urology unit, said three out of four surgeries were delayed due to the unavailability of required equipment.
Doctor Raises Shortage Issue at Govt Hospital
In a Facebook post shared on Saturday, Dr. Haris said the problem was not new and had only been getting worse. Patients are being made to wait for basic surgical procedures while the system isn’t doing anything about it. The lack of surgical supplies, he said, is not a one-time issue, but an ongoing problem.
He had repeatedly alerted senior officials and even contacted Health Minister Veena George, but no action was taken.
He added that he joined government service to make a difference, but the delay in getting even basic tools is making it hard for doctors and patients.
In his post, he mentioned how this has been happening in other departments as well, but no one is speaking about it. There were instances where patients were forced to purchase the necessary equipment on their own. Dr. Haris said he knew speaking up could get him into trouble or cost him his job, but he was ready to take the risk.
Later, he deleted the post and put up another one saying he still stands by everything he said, but was removing it due to personal limitations.
Health Minister Orders Probe
After the controversy began, it reached Health Minister Veena George, who responded by saying the matter had not reached her before. She called Dr. Haris a sincere doctor and said only one surgery had been delayed due to problems with surgical equipment, not three as mentioned.
According to a report by The Indian Express, she said, “As per the report of the DME, of the four surgeries scheduled on Thursday, one was postponed due to some snag with a probe (a surgical equipment). This issue is neither before me nor the department.”
She also ordered a detailed inquiry and said the government would look into fixing the equipment procurement process.
Medical Director Seeks Clarification
Director of Medical Education Dr. K.V. Vishwanathan stated that they would request an explanation from Dr. Haris. He added that further action may be taken if the response is not satisfactory.
At the same time, the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association expressed their support for Dr. Haris, saying government hospitals are under pressure and short on resources.
Similar Shortage Reported Recently
Earlier this month, a similar shortage was reported at Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute, where surgeries had to be postponed due to the unavailability of equipment. Many patients were left waiting.
Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan also said that what is often shown through PR is far from the actual situation in many public hospitals. He further remarked that Kerala’s healthcare system is in a critical state.
We have been repeatedly raising the issues Dr. Haris pointed out. The true picture of the state’s health sector is different from what is being projected by PR agencies. The issue is not limited to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. Other medical colleges in the state are also facing shortage of equipment.
V.D. Satheesan, Congress Leader
Next Steps Still Unclear
The government has ordered a probe and said it will look into the issue. Whether this leads to any real improvement in hospital infrastructure remains to be seen.
(Rh/ Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)
