Support grows for Kerala whistleblower doctor who exposed medical college shortcomings
Thiruvananthapuram: Growing public and professional support is rallying behind Dr Haris Chirakkal of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, who alleges he is facing harassment after exposing corruption and systemic shortcomings in Kerala’s healthcare system.
The controversy deepened on Friday when Medical College Principal, Dr PK Jabbar, held a press conference refuting Chirakkal’s claims, stating that surgical equipment previously reported missing had been located in Chirackal’s office.
However, the press conference itself became a point of contention. In a moment that quickly went viral, the hospital’s Superintendent, seated beside Jabbar, was overheard receiving a phone call instructing the Principal to “read out the report as directed” -- fuelling allegations of a coordinated campaign against Chirakkal.
“It’s becoming clearer that there is a group haunting Chirakkal,” said Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan, speaking to reporters. “We will go to any extent to protect him. We will not allow him to suffer because of this.”
The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA) has also thrown its support behind Dr Chirakkal. The association voiced serious concerns regarding the motives of those involved in the investigation and said it would appeal to the state government for an independent inquiry.
In a letter to KGMCTA, Dr Chirakkal alleged that the Principal, Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent entered his office in his absence, tampered with documents, and may have tried to implicate him. He claimed the inspection was conducted without adhering to protocol, in a room that held sensitive files and expensive surgical instruments. He also pointed out that the corridor outside his office lacked CCTV coverage and alleged that a second key was used to re-lock the door post-inspection.
The doctor came under scrutiny after publicly disclosing critical shortages of surgical equipment at the hospital -- a move that contradicted the official narrative. He maintains that he had submitted requests for the equipment in both March and June, directly challenging government claims that they were not informed.
Despite receiving a show-cause notice from the Director of Medical Education, Chirackal has yet to respond, stating he will do so only after the inquiry committee submits its report.
At the press conference, Principal Jabbar described the inspection of Chirakkal’s office as a routine procedure, carried out by authorised personnel. He claimed that equipment previously reported as missing was found in a new box, along with a purchase bill dated 2 August. However, he admitted that the photographs of the recovered item did not match earlier images.
While CCTV footage reportedly shows an individual entering the office, the date of the footage remains unverified.
An expert committee has already flagged concerns about the missing equipment. Dr Chirakkal continues to insist that the items in question were always present within the medical facility.