V.S. Achuthanandan remains in ICU, condition stable, says family
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mr. Achuthanandan's son, V. Arun Kumar, said his father was admitted to the hospital on Monday after the centenarian experienced 'mild' breathing difficulties.
Mr. Arun Kumar said the doctors admitted Mr. Achuthanandan to the intensive care unit after they 'perceived' the possibility of a cardiac ailment.
Top CPI(M) leaders, including Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan, had called on Mr. Achuthanandan's family at the hospital.
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The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Political dispensation expresses dissatisfaction over doctor's post
The events set in motion by a Facebook post by Harris Chirackal, Head of the Department of Urology at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital, on systemic issues affecting patient care seemed to escalate on Wednesday with the political dispensation expressing its dissatisfaction over the manner in which the doctor's post had put the State's health system on the dock. Dr. Chirackal responded that his Facebook post was only meant to point out systemic issues which needed correction. He pointed out that the fact that the purchase procedures were fast-tracked by the administration and that stalled procedures could be resumed within a day in Urology Unit 1 was proof enough that it was wilful neglect at various levels that delayed the procurement of the accessories. The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA), while affirming their support for Dr. Chirackal, has chosen to stay away from the narrative that the State's public sector hospitals were on the verge of collapse. The KGMCTA has instead used the controversy to draw the government's attention to the infrastructural, administrative and human resource deficiencies in medical college hospitals that needed immediate correction. Meanwhile, the report of the four-member committee instituted by the government to look into the issues raised by Dr. Chirackal is awaited. Ekbal's post A Facebook post on Wednesday by former neurosurgeon and former Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University B. Ekbal on the issue is right on point. He pointed out that while the government had focussed on building infrastructure and acquiring sophisticated diagnostic devices for public hospitals, similar attention was not given to the modernisation of the administrative processes in these hospitals. Though the facilities in public sector hospitals had grown, no attention seemed to have been given to improving the efficiency of the system, he said. Dr. Ekbal said that the current rules governing the purchase of equipment and medicines, especially that relating to emergency procurement, needed timely revision. The financial powers of medical college Principals and Superintendents needed to be increased. Lack of administrative skills He said that entrusting the administration of huge hospitals to clinicians/faculty who had no expertise in administration was the main issue affecting the efficiency of public sector hospitals. 'Hospital administration is a separate entity in itself, which calls for specialised skills. Modern hospitals are today run by persons who have acquired specialised qualifications in hospital administration and not by doctors. The State should start its own short-term hospital administration courses with the help of the Kerala University of Health Sciences and only doctors who secure hospital administration skills should be given the responsibility of running hospitals,' he wrote. Dr. Ekbal also pointed out that it was a serious issue that the human resources in public hospitals—doctors, nurses and support staff —had never been on par with the growth of the institutions. The government should prioritise appointment of more faculty and staff in public sector hospitals in stages so that service delivery was not affected, he said.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- 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.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Medical equipment issues in college resolved after creating controversy: Govt doctor
Thiruvananthapuram, A senior government doctor who recently claimed shortage of surgical equipment and delays in procedures at the state-run Medical College Hospital here, on Wednesday said that the issues were resolved quickly only after he highlighted them publicly. Medical equipment issues in college resolved after creating controversy: Govt doctor Dr Haris Chirakkal at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, also questioned whether creating a controversy was the only way to resolve such issues. The doctor, in a Facebook post, had recently said that the shortage of essential medical equipment had led to the postponement of surgeries and had alleged that repeated assurances from authorities had failed to resolve the issue, leaving patients in severe pain waiting for timely treatment. On Wednesday, while speaking to reporters here, he said that a file related to one of the equipment was pending at the Collectorate for around two months, but was quickly processed after his FB post. Another equipment was delivered at the hospital amidst the ongoing enquiry in connection with his revelations, he added. "How were these resolved so quickly when I created an issue over it? How did these things move so fast after being delayed for months? So, things will be resolved only if an issue is created?" he asked. At the same time, he admitted that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was right when he said that such revelations, when highlighted in the wrong way, could unintentionally misrepresent the larger picture. "He is a sincere government employee, free of corruption and deeply committed to his duty. Despite this, he has now inadvertently become the reason for misrepresenting what is arguably the best healthcare system in India. It is unclear whether this was his intention. Still, this incident should serve as a lesson for all of us," Vijayan had said a day ago at an event in Kannur. Responding to queries from reporters about what the CM had said, the doctor conceded that what he had said "would cause some damage to the health sector." He said that his intention was to ensure the shortage of equipment is resolved and he neither wanted the health department or the hospitals under it to be blamed nor did he want protests against them. "Such things would lead to what I said being misunderstood. What I want is that red-tapism and bureaucratic delays be avoided," he said. Dr Chirakkal further said that despite the CM's remarks, he has a lot of respect for Vijayan. The doctor also said that he had expected some opposition to what he had said, but everyone, irrespective of party leanings, told him that what he said was correct. Meanwhile, an editorial in the CPI mouthpiece, Deshabhimani, said that what the doctor said had caused a lot of misunderstanding, but the health department intervened quickly and resolved the issue. A committee has been appointed to investigate the cause of the situation and to recommend steps to prevent it from happening in the future, it said. It alleged that the opposition was trying to gain political mileage out of the issue by spreading the news that the public health sector in the state was having problems. The editorial said that pointing out mistakes and trying to correct them was fine, but it was different from trying to harm the government in the name of some shortcomings. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
