
Haris Chirackal says MCH colleagues sought to vilify him
Though Dr. Chirackal said later that he was not going to pursue the issue or put up a complaint against his colleagues, the controversy which had begun from his earlier Facebook post and had escalated rapidly, refuses to die down.
Dr. Chirackal's recent post appeared in the social media group of Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA) on Sunday night, in which he said that he was deeply hurt by how his colleagues, whom he has known for decades, had backstabbed him without a second thought. He said that their action was against the Hippocratic oath. The MCH authorities could have clarified everything with him before going public and portraying him as a petty thief.
It was so hurtful that it might have perhaps pushed him over the edge, said Dr. Chirackal, who had been under hospitalised care at the time as he was under severe stress.
The controversy over the revelations made by Dr. Chirackal about the systemic issues in medical colleges affecting patient care and the manner in which the Health department sought to deal with the doctor who spoke out in good faith has been quite damaging for the Health department's image.
CM reacts
On Monday, Health Minister Veena George and the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, at a function to open the Speciality block at Kannur district hospital, sought to make out that the 'continuous attempts by some' to portray the Health department in a bad light as part of an organised conspiracy.
Mr. Vijayan claimed that the current controversies and the 'canards' being spread against the Health department were all part of a conspiracy by 'mega corporates' and 'those who have been bought over by them' to discredit Kerala's model public health system, which was scaling new heights.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Haris Chirackal says MCH colleagues sought to vilify him
A fresh post by the Head of Urology at Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Haris Chirackal, in the WhatsApp group of the faculty of medical colleges, expressing anguish over the hasty manner in which his colleagues had set out to 'nail him' and make him out to be a pilferer before everyone, opened new fronts on Monday. Though Dr. Chirackal said later that he was not going to pursue the issue or put up a complaint against his colleagues, the controversy which had begun from his earlier Facebook post and had escalated rapidly, refuses to die down. Dr. Chirackal's recent post appeared in the social media group of Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA) on Sunday night, in which he said that he was deeply hurt by how his colleagues, whom he has known for decades, had backstabbed him without a second thought. He said that their action was against the Hippocratic oath. The MCH authorities could have clarified everything with him before going public and portraying him as a petty thief. It was so hurtful that it might have perhaps pushed him over the edge, said Dr. Chirackal, who had been under hospitalised care at the time as he was under severe stress. The controversy over the revelations made by Dr. Chirackal about the systemic issues in medical colleges affecting patient care and the manner in which the Health department sought to deal with the doctor who spoke out in good faith has been quite damaging for the Health department's image. CM reacts On Monday, Health Minister Veena George and the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, at a function to open the Speciality block at Kannur district hospital, sought to make out that the 'continuous attempts by some' to portray the Health department in a bad light as part of an organised conspiracy. Mr. Vijayan claimed that the current controversies and the 'canards' being spread against the Health department were all part of a conspiracy by 'mega corporates' and 'those who have been bought over by them' to discredit Kerala's model public health system, which was scaling new heights.


India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Why Kerala govt's handling of ‘whistleblower' Dr Haris Chirackal raises questions
Dr Haris Hassan Chirackal, head of the department of urology at the Thiruvanathapuram Government Medical College, turned a whistleblower of sorts overnight when he highlighted in a social media post back in June alleged gaps in public healthcare in Kerala and inadequacies in medical services for poor patients at his Chirackal narrated how alleged scarcity of amenities, quality surgical tools and medicines hampered services. He claimed he had to postpone surgeries due to lack of functional surgical month, the director of medical education issued him a show-cause notice for violating service rules and going public with his grievances. Looking back at the controversy, Dr Chirackal, 56, told INDIA TODAY: 'I raised the issue on social media after several requests and reminders to the authorities were ignored. I never intended to damage the image of the government or the health department.'Dr Chirackal's criticism on social media took political hue as the Opposition in the state used it to accuse the Pinarayi Vijayan government of failures in the health sector. Vijayan himself ticked off the doctor for what the chief minister said were false claims. Dr Chirackal apologised to the chief minister but stuck to his comments. Appearing before a probe committee, he explained in detail the equipment crises battled in operation theatres, with surgeons sometimes asking poor patients to provide expert committee submitted its report to health minister Veena George and director of medical education. Later, the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College was directed to conduct a probe regarding surgical equipment used by the urology department. The probe apparently pointed to some equipment August 8, Veena George told the media that the expert committee had found Dr Chirackal to have violated the Kerala Government Servants' Conduct Rules, 1960. She said a show-cause notice would be issued to the doctor over the missing Chirackal came forward to identify all the equipment in the department in the presence of authorities. Rounds of claims and counter-claims Chirackal, one of Kerala's top urologists, has over three decades of professional experience gained solely from giving his services in the government healthcare sector. He has a record of being regular with his hospital duties and helping hundreds of poor social media post invited not just administrative action but the wrath of cyber warriors of the ruling party. 'Some of my colleagues joined my tormentors at a time I was in deep trouble. It put me under high pressure,' said Dr the same time, critics of the government and members of the medical fraternity have questioned the handling of entire episode. As a senior super-specialty doctor working in the government said: 'Dr Haris Chirackal, in his entire career, has never approached the government or ministers for personal favours. He never resisted transfers and worked wherever he was posted. Not many doctors follow such ethics in their profession. The turn of events has shattered him mentally.'advertisementTo observers, Dr Chirackal's ordeal is a test that the state government failed. What should have been an opportunity for some genuine interventions to fix problems in public healthcare in Kerala has predictably turned into an exercise of finding just faults with a reputed and veteran medical professional just because he challenged the to India Today Magazine- Ends


NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Musician Dies After Eating Broccoli Sandwich Amid Botulism Outbreak In Italy
Luigi Di Sarno, a 52-year-old Italian musician, died after eating a broccoli and sausage sandwich from a street food vendor in Diamante, Calabria, according to a report by The Mirror. The sandwich was suspected to have been contaminated with a deadly toxin. Nine others who consumed the same food were hospitalised with suspected botulism. The outbreak has led to a mass recall of broccoli in Italy. As per the report, Sarno collapsed after eating the sandwich. He, along with other victims, including two teenagers and members of Sarno's family, were rushed to the nearby Annunziata Hospital. In a Facebook post, Achille Ordine, the mayor of Diamante, urged the public not to panic or circulate rumors, adding that the Public Prosecutor's Office of Paola is probing the incident. Here's what the health department says As quoted in the report, the Calabria Region's Department of Health and Welfare said: "The emergency procedure established in these cases has been activated, which requires immediate notification to the Poison Control Center in Pavia, the only national centre designated for the management of botulism. "No region or hospital in the country is authorised to store the antivenom in their own facilities. This serum, however, is exclusively available to the Ministry of Health, which holds it in designated secure locations and distributes it only through the Lombardy Poison Control Centre. "The first two vials, used for the first patients, were sent directly from the Military Pharmacy in Taranto. However, as the number of cases increased, additional supplies became necessary. "Yesterday, the Calabria Region, through Azienda Zero, provided a 118 aircraft that flew to the San Camillo Hospital in Rome, where the ministry had centralised additional vials of the antivenom to facilitate distribution." What is botulism? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that botulism is caused by the toxin clostridium botulinum. Botulism symptoms include breathing difficulties, muscle paralysis, blurred vision, and even death in rare cases. "Foodborne botulism can happen by eating foods that have been contaminated with botulinum toxin," the CDC states. "Common sources of foodborne botulism are homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved or fermented. Though uncommon, store-bought foods also can be contaminated with botulinum toxin."