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.
Published – July 02, 2025 09:25 pm IST
