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The doctor went on to say that he was frustrated by the bureaucratic bottleneck that was delaying the supply of surgical equipments.
A senior doctor at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram said in a Facebook post that three out of four surgeries at his department had to be postponed due to a lack of equipment, triggering a political controversy in Kerala.
Dr Haris Chirakkal, head of Urology at the medical college, also said he has been knocking on the doors of authorities, including Kerala Health Minister Veena George, for several months regarding the issue.
“Patients are forced to buy surgical equipment. There is a thought in me about quitting the job,” he said in the post.
The doctor went on to say that he was frustrated by the bureaucratic bottleneck that was delaying the supply of surgical equipments. He said that he was ready to face the consequences, even if it includes being sacked from government service, of “speaking the truth”.
The Congress targeted the CPI(M)-led Left Front government in the state regarding the issue, and said Kerala’s health sector is on “ventilator support”.
Health Minister Veena George Saturday said the issue had never come before her or the Director of Medical Education. “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 said.
Director of Medical Education Dr K V Vishwanathan said an explanation will be sought from the doctor, and action will be taken against him if it is not satisfactory.
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Dr Haris stuck to his stand and got the backing of the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association.
“The truth should not be covered up. Many of my friends have joined private hospitals and become crorepatis. I have studied in a government medical college and I am working in the government sector with the intention of giving back to society,” the doctor told the media.
Later, the minister said, “I understand that Dr Haris is a genuine and hardworking doctor. He had specifically stated certain things. I have asked the DME to conduct a detailed probe into the issues he had raised.”
Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress said the state’s health sector is on ventilator support.
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“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,” the Congress leader said.
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