Hospital equipment shortage row: Dr Haris Chirakkal served notice by Kerala DME

Thiruvananthapuram: The Director of Medical Education (DME) has issued a show-cause notice to Dr Haris Chirakkal, Head of the Urology Department at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, following his public remarks about a shortage of surgical equipment and inadequate infrastructure affecting patient care.

The notice comes after Dr Haris highlighted delays in surgeries and operational hurdles, citing the unavailability of critical tools in the department. His concerns, initially shared via a Facebook post and subsequent public statements, drew widespread attention to persistent infrastructure issues at one of Kerala’s premier healthcare institutions.

While his statements resonated with many in the medical community, the DME has taken a stern view of the matter, citing a breach of service rules for publicly airing internal administrative issues. The show-cause notice directs Dr Haris to submit a written explanation justifying his decision to speak out and explain why he bypassed official channels.

A government-appointed investigation committee, set up in the wake of the controversy, found that Dr Haris’s actions violated service protocols. The committee concluded that the allegations raised by the doctor were largely unsubstantiated. However, it did acknowledge that delays in the arrival of surgical equipment had occurred, blaming the issue on the complexity of procurement procedures, and recommended streamlining the process for the future.

Dr Haris’s initial disclosure, which mentioned that a surgery had to be postponed due to a lack of equipment, sparked broader debate. Health Minister Veena George later admitted that there were systemic challenges that needed to be addressed. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly criticised the doctor's comments, accusing him of tarnishing the image of India's public healthcare system.