THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an unprecedented move, the head of the urology department at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, publicly criticised the authorities for their failure to procure essential surgical equipment.
Dr Haris Chirakkal, voiced his frustration on social media after multiple surgeries were delayed due to a lack of necessary tools. He expressed disappointment at having repeatedly approached the authorities without success, calling the postponement of surgeries “shameful and regretful” in front of underprivileged patients. While he later deleted his social media posts, he stood by his remarks and stated that he was unconcerned about reperc-ussions.
“I have been under tremendous pressure as department head. After taking leave, I posted on social media because I couldn’t bear the mental anguish of not fulfilling my commitment to the patients who depend on us for care. I even considered leaving the service; I was simply exhausted,” he shared. The professor noted that four scheduled surgeries had been postponed, forcing patients to return home.
“This problem has been recurring. Despite assurances in the past, nothing has been done to resolve it,” he added.
Dr Chirakkal made the post on Friday, and both the director of medical education (DME)-in-charge, Dr Vishwanathan K V, and hospital authorities urged him to retract the comments.
Dr Chirakkal agreed to delete the post after receiving an assurance from a relative, a CPM leader, that the health minister’s office would address the matter.
In an attempt to defuse the situation, Dr Vishwanathan termed the urology professor’s outburst as emotional and said the claim of equipment shortage was misleading.
“The doctor was highlighting technical issues related to the procurement process. The state government has already purchased all the necessary equipment for the urology department, and in fact, it received the largest allocation for purchases,” he stated.
The Medical College spent Rs 67 lakh last financial year on equipment for the urology department, including the purchase of a device called Lithoclast, which is used to crush urinary stones. However, the device is now damaged, and the replacement purchase was delayed due to a rise in rates.
Despite this, Dr Chirakkal accused Dr Vishwanathan of trying to downplay the issue. “They are attempting to whitewash the problem,” he said, emphasising that the challenges were more than just technicalities.
‘Issue will be investigated’
Following Dr Haris Chirackal’s Facebook post, Health Minister Veena George said the issue will be investigated. “We recently purchased machinery worth Rs 700 crore for the medical college. It also comprised equipment for the urology depart-ment. However, as the doctor has now raised an issue, we will investigate it and see if there are any lapses,” she said. The minister added that according to the report by the director of medical education, 317 procedures were conducted in the department last month.