Latest news with #HarisChirackal
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
LDF in Kerala scrambles to counter Opposition claims of public health sector decline
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) appeared to be scrambling to counter the Opposition United Democratic Front's (UDF) narrative that the public health sector in the State was in irreversible decline. A candid social media admission by Dr. Haris Chirackal, the Head of the Department of Urology at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram, that the non-availability of critical devices had constrained him to cancel emergency endo-urology procedures, had triggered the political storm. The doctor's avowal went viral, sparking off raucous street protests by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) across the State, catching the ruling front off-guard. The LDF's pushback came in the form of an editorial in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] mouthpiece Deshabhimani. The article stated that the contentious social media post by Dr. Chirackal inadvertently provided sensational grist for the Opposition and right-wing media to obscure Kerala's stellar achievements in the public health sector. Notably, the editorial came close on the heels of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticising the doctor for raising a relevant issue in an inappropriate manner in a public forum, which he stated was not befitting a government servant. Later, Dr. Chirackal said he accepted Mr. Vijayan's criticism. He said he did not anticipate the bedlam which followed his social media post and requested that the parties concerned should not politicise the issue. One-off red-tape-related delay: Govindan CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan accused the Opposition of damning the State's public health sector by citing 'a one-off red-tape-related procurement delay.' Minister for Culture Saji Cherian stated that the media and the Opposition appeared to have no criticism of the 'predatory' private-corporate health sector, which charges patients exorbitantly. Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam cautioned that it was erroneous to infer malfeasance from the doctor's candid expression of concern for the patients' well-being. Nevertheless, Mr. Viswam said the government was competent to examine whether the doctor had breached service rules. Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan accused the government of 'threatening' truth-tellers and whistleblowers while appearing to protect them. He said the UDF would resist any attempt to penalise Dr. Chirackal for 'holding a mirror to the decay' in the State's public health sector.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Surgeries resume in Thiruvananthapuram MCH's Urology department
Surgeries and procedures which had been stalled in Unit 1 of the Urology department of the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) since June 27, because of the dearth of some accessories of Lithoclast machine, resumed on Tuesday. The procedures could be resumed after the authorities stepped in to fast track the purchase of the machine's probe and ensured that it was made available at the hospital on Tuesday. Surgical procedures at the Urology department had come to a standstill after the purchase process for the Lithoclast machine's probe through the hospital development society had been inordinately delayed. Facebook post The stalling of the procedures had made headlines after the Head of the Urology department, Haris Chirackal, penned in his Facebook page on June 27 his disappointment and shame over having to cancel surgeries at the eleventh hour, putting patients to difficulty. The social media post also spoke about the funds squeeze in the MCH and how patients ended up buying accessories for various equipment on their own just so that the surgeries took place as planned. Dr. Chirackal's post had stirred up a hornet's nest with the Opposition quick to accuse the government of allowing public health to wither away. The Health Minister, who was forced to acknowledge the systemic issues which affected patient care adversely in public sector hospitals, also set up a four-member committee to enquire into the issues that Dr. Chirackal raised. Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA), which came out in support of Dr. Chirackal, said that the government had for long been ignoring the doctors' complaints about infrastructure inadequacies and shortage of human resources which were affecting patient care services in public sector hospitals. Holds protest The KGMCTA on Tuesday observed the Doctors' Day as a day to protest against the government's neglect of the long-standing issues raised by the organisation, including non-payment of pay revision arrears to medical college faculty and the government's refusal to appoint adequate faculty in medical colleges. The KGMCTA organised protest marches to all government medical colleges across the State. Meanwhile, the Congress, which has been launching scathing attacks against the Health department's inefficiency, organised marches to all government medical colleges across the State. K.C. Venugopal, MP, who inaugurated the protest march at Pariyaram Government Medical College Hospital, demanded that the government take immediate steps to resolve the issues of equipment and staff shortage in public hospitals. The BJP also marched to the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital on Tuesday raising similar demands. Former BJP State president K. Surendran accused the government of neglecting public hospitals, thus forcing people to approach the private health sector for care, pushing up out of pocket expenditure.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
After doctor's FB post on issues affecting patient care, govt.-appointed panel visits Thiruvananthapuram MCH
The controversy kicked off by the Facebook post penned by the Head of Urology department at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital, lamenting over systemic issues affecting patient care, continued to dominate political and social discourse in Kerala well into the third day. Meanwhile, a four-member committee instituted by the Health Minister to look into the issues raised by Dr. Haris Chirackal, relating to the delays in procurement and local purchase of equipment/accessories in Thiruvananthapuram MCH, visited the hospital on Monday (June 30, 2025). The committee, comprising B. Padmakumar, Principal; S. Gomathy, Head of Nephrology of Alappuzha Government MCH; T.K. Jayakumar, Superintendent; and A. Rajesh, Head of Urology at Kottayam Government MCH, recorded statements from Dr. Haris as well as other heads of departments at Thiruvananthapuram MCH on the manner of equipment/accessories purchase, process delays they encounter and how the systemic issues were affecting patient care and service delivery. Numerous hurdles While Dr. Haris explained the hurdles he was facing, other heads of department also spoke about the outdated and highly bureaucratic purchase procedures and shortage of funds that was affecting the functioning of major departments. The committee is learnt to have enquired about previous occasions when procedures/surgeries were stalled because of the non-availability of equipment/accessories. They have also sought to examine the purchase files at Thiruvananthapuram MCH over the last one year. The report is expected to be submitted to the government at the earliest. Health Minister Veena George, while acknowledging the systemic issues pointed out by Dr. Haris, had claimed that despite all its limitations, public hospitals were serving a large number of people and that overcrowding was one of the reasons why public hospitals were unable to render healthcare services efficiently. The government's failure to reimburse public hospitals for free treatment provided under Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati is one of the main reasons why Hospital Development Societies (HDS) are always short of funds. The only source of income for HDS is the small user fee it charges for some procedures from the paying category of patients. But over the last 15 years, all departments have grown and their requirements too have grown. Unlike before, there just isn't enough funds to meet the increased demands for accessories/equipment. Patients thus end up having to pool money for the HDS to purchase these accessories and consumables so that procedure/surgeries are not stalled. The MCH is also bound by Government's purchase rules and procedures, which are often cumbersome and tedious. While these may be necessary for maintaining general financial discipline, applying these to busy tertiary health care institutions will only affect the efficiency of the latter's functioning, it is pointed out . Doctors also point out that the bureaucracy at various levels – right from the offices of the Superintendent and the DME to the Health department administrative wing at the Secretariat – are least interested in speeding up or easing the procedural hurdles. Protests Monday also saw protest demonstrations by Congress activists against the 'unhealthy practices' in the health sector. While the Youth Congress activists protested before the Thiruvananthapuram MCH, Mahila Congress activists marched to the official residence of Veena George and staged a dharna there. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan announced the setting up of a Health Commission by the UDF, under the leadership of S.S. Lal, a public health professional and a consultant with the UN, to study the complexities that have evolved in the public health sector over the last decade and to make suitable recommendations for the long-term. In a statement here, Mr. Satheesan said that the Health Commission will be submitting its preliminary report within three months and the final and comprehensive report in six months. The commission's report will be the basic document on which the UDF will put forth a new health policy, Kerala Health Vision 2050.
