Thiruvananthapuram Medical College faces Equipment Controversy after leading Urologist highlights deficiencies on social media

A social media post by a leading senior urologist disclosing a shortage of surgical equipment and delays in surgeries for months at the state-run Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital has gained widespread attention and landed him in an open fight against the health department, all for the sake of his patients.

Dr Haris Chirakkal, Head of the Urology Department at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, shared a detailed Facebook post, which is now deleted, where he highlighted the grim situation at the hospital as he could no longer stay silent as a doctor. Although Dr Chirakkal agreed to delete his Facebook post at the DME’s request, he later told reporters that the issues he raised persist.

In his post, he expressed his frustration after repeated delays in surgeries due to a lack of basic medical equipment. The post which quickly went viral, triggered a controversy in Kerala and brought to light the severe challenges faced by one of the state’s largest government hospitals.