A senior doctor at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram has sparked a political row in Kerala after he revealed in a Facebook post that three out of four surgeries in his department had to be delayed because of a shortage of equipment.
Dr Haris Chirakkal, who heads the Urology department in the Medical College, said that he has been trying to get help from higher authorities, including state Health Minister Veena George, for several months. He also mentioned that patients are being forced to buy surgical tools themselves. He expressed deep frustration and even said he was thinking about quitting his government job.
Haris blamed the delay on bureaucratic hurdles and said he was willing to face any punishment, even losing his job, for speaking out.
Slamming the ruling government, Congress said that the health system in Kerala is in a critical state. They said the shortage of medical equipment is a widespread issue, not just in Thiruvananthapuram but in other medical colleges as well.
Health Minister Veena George responded by saying that this issue had never come before her or the Director of Medical Education, a report by The Indian Express said. She said that as per the report she received, only one surgery was postponed due to a problem with a medical probe.
The Director of Medical Education, KV Vishwanathan, said that the department will ask Haris for an explanation and might take action if his response is not satisfactory.
After the backlash, Haris has now deleted his facebook post. “I am taking down the post. I am not at fault. I am surrounded by limitations. Within those limits, I have always tried my best to provide the maximum care possible to every patient who comes to my department for treatment,” he said in another post.
Putting spotlight on his own miseries, Haris added, “My strength lies in the senior and junior doctors who sincerely work alongside me. Until now, I have never bowed down to anyone for personal reasons. But ever since I became the head of the department, I have addressed many people as “sir”, stood humbly in front of many tables, and attended numerous committee meetings. Still, nothing changed.”
Recalling another incident Haris said, “Many of you might remember the incident when the kidney of a brain-dead patient arrived, and the ambulance driver had to wait in the corridor because no one was ready to receive it. From the day I took up this role, my colleagues and I have been working day and night to clean such stains and correct past mistakes.”
Minister Veena George had earlier said that she believes Haris is sincere and hardworking. She has asked the medical education department to conduct a full investigation into the issues he raised, reported IE.