Thiruvananthapuram Medical College courts Equipment Controversy after leading Urologist take to social media to point deficiencies
Thiruvananthapuram: 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.
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“Fire me, I’m fed up with this service,” wrote Dr Haris, after yet another surgery had to be cancelled, this time for a young boy whose condition required urgent attention. He pointed out that doctors are left helpless as patients wait for critical surgeries for months, only to have them cancelled due to the unavailability of essential medical equipment. As a result, poor patients and their families are left confused and hopeless, not knowing what to do next, he added.
As per Kerala Kaumudi news report, the social media post from Harris came on Friday after the surgery of a boy, who the doctor mentioned was of his son’s age, got cancelled. He wrote a letter to the Hospital Development Society (HDS) office to purchase equipment worth Rs. 41,000 used for urology surgery, but no action was taken.
Dr. Harris visited this office several times for this, but had to leave empty-handed as the official often cited legal hurdles for not moving ahead. Harris then informed the minister's office, but yet again received the same response.
He said, "I am tired of appealing to politicians and officials. My shoes are torn from useless visits to offices to plead with officials. I have no time to confront the bureaucracy, and I have had to postpone surgeries continuously due to a lack of equipment."
“Today, we had to postpone multiple operations. Hundreds of patients who cannot afford private hospitals come here for treatment,” he added.
"The surgery that had to be cancelled today was for a college student, someone the same age as my son. It fills me with shame and disappointment to tell him that the operation couldn’t happen. And he is just one among many," he recalled.
Dr Haris accused the authorities of ignoring the needs of poor patients and delaying vital surgical procedures. He said that countless surgeries are either being cancelled or postponed due to the shortage of equipment. He alleged that many surgeries are only possible because patients themselves raise funds to buy equipment.
Describing the challenges faced by the patients, Dr Harris said as reported by Mathrubhumi, "Many come after mortgaging assets, taking loans, or selling possessions, often with no family support and in immense pain. We doctors are ready to work day and night, but we are blocked by an immovable wall of bureaucracy."
Accusing the government for failing to address the issue, he wrote in the Facebook post, “A department head in a government medical college with no power to purchase even a single piece of equipment is a symbol of ultimate helplessness."
He said that despite being given a salary of over Rs 3.5 lakh a month, he was unable to serve the public properly which ached his heart. Even though he ran door to door of the bureaucratic officials for the sake of his patients, it only left him in despair and exhausted since the higher ups showes no intension to cooperate.
Angered over his inability to provide timely treatment to poor patients, Dr Haris clarified that he is considering resigning from his posts and said that the health department can dismiss him as he is exhausted trying to improve the department.
"If I’m unable to serve the public accordingly, perhaps it’s better I step aside. I’m exhausted from running around trying to improve the department. I cannot fight the bureaucracy anymore. Let them dismiss me," he ended his note.
Kerala government orders probe
After his post gained wisdspread attention from the public and the media, the Kerala government has ordered an inquiry into the matter. It formed a four-member fact-finding expert committee to investigate serious allegations raised by Dr Haris. The committee has been tasked with submitting a detailed report and recommendations to the government at the earliest.
An order issued on June 29 by Additional Secretary Janardhanan K, on behalf of the Governor, stated that the committee will comprise Dr Padmakumar B, Principal of Government Medical College, Alappuzha; Dr Jayakumar T K, Medical Superintendent of Government Medical College, Kottayam; Dr Gomathy S, Head of the Nephrology Department at Government Medical College, Alappuzha; and Dr Rajeevan A L, Head of the Urology Department at Government Medical College, Kottayam.
"What I said was the truth. I won’t hide after speaking the truth. There are no political motives behind my disclosure," he told PTI.
Chirakkal said he had repeatedly raised the matter with senior officials, including the medical college principal and hospital superintendent, but no action was taken.
However, the principal of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Dr P K Jabbar, said no serious issues had been officially brought to his attention. He denied receiving any purchase order and noted that Dr Haris had not submitted a formal complaint to him.
Although Dr Haris does not have direct access to Health Minister Veena George, he said he had informed the minister's office about the difficulties faced by his department and the hospital in general.
"There are issues across all departments, but no one speaks up out of fear. Many times, surgeries were carried out only after patients purchased the necessary equipment themselves," he said.
He added that he was frustrated with repeatedly approaching voluntary organisations and medical companies for equipment due to the persistent shortage. This, he said, compelled him to expose the system’s failure.
Chirakkal also expressed concern that he might face a vigilance probe, as he had gone beyond official procedures to procure equipment to prevent delays in surgeries.
"I don’t fear any investigation. Many of my colleagues have moved to the private sector. But I studied in a government medical college and wanted to serve in the public sector—that’s why I continue here," he added.
Meanwhile, addressing the media on Sunday, Health Minister Veena George refrained from criticizing Dr Chirakkal and described him as a hardworking and trustworthy medical professional. She said the concerns raised by the doctor reflected systemic issues within the healthcare infrastructure and assured that his statements would be examined thoroughly. George cautioned against using the matter to malign the entire healthcare system in the state.
Acknowledging procedural delays in procuring medical equipment for government hospitals and medical colleges, she said such rules should be relaxed if necessary. "There should be no delay in procuring equipment. We will examine whether such delays occurred in this case," she added.
The minister also praised Chirakkal’s commitment to patient welfare and his willingness to speak up. Highlighting the importance of government medical colleges, she pointed out that while 2.5 lakh patients availed free treatment in 2021, that number has now risen to 6.5 lakh.
George had earlier announced a comprehensive probe into Dr Chirakkal’s revelations.
DME denies allegations
Following his disclosures, Director of Medical Education Dr Vishwanathan K told the media that Dr Chirakkal’s statements were "misleading and an emotional outburst". He claimed delays in procuring medical equipment were technical and that the government had already purchased all necessary supplies for the Urology Department.
Dr Vishwanathan told Deshabhimani that the reasons behind Haris’s post would be examined, especially since no other department heads at the medical college had raised similar allegations. Therefore, the incident involving Haris will be specifically looked into. He also confirmed that the issue has been brought to the attention of the Health Minister and that a detailed inquiry would follow.
When asked whether Haris’s post was intended to tarnish the reputation of the medical system, the DME replied, “It appears so.”
Support from Medical fraternity
The opposition UDF strongly criticised the Health Department over the doctor’s disclosures and announced plans to appoint a commission to study issues in the health sector and organise a conclave. A report based on the findings would be submitted to the government.
Speaking to reporters in Paravur, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said Dr Chirakkal’s statements echoed what the UDF had been highlighting for years. "The real state of Kerala’s healthcare system is far from the rosy picture being painted by the authorities using PR agencies," he alleged.
"This is the situation in all government medical colleges. Some don’t even have basic supplies like surgical thread to stitch wounds. Patients are forced to buy their equipment, and many surgeries have been cancelled," he claimed.
Satheesan dismissed the health minister’s response as unsatisfactory, accusing her of trying to evade responsibility. "The health system in Kerala is on ventilator support," he alleged.
Amid reports of possible disciplinary action against Dr Chirakkal, the doctors' association extended full support to him and warned of strong intervention if authorities take retaliatory action.
