On World Doctors' Day, Kerala Health Minister Veena George faces political heat

Thiruvananthapuram, July 1 (IANS) On a day meant to honour the medical fraternity, Kerala witnessed political protests instead, as opposition parties trained their guns on State Health Minister Veena George over alleged failures in the public health sector.

Marking World Doctors' Day on Tuesday, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP staged protests across the state, triggered by startling revelations made by whistleblower Dr Haris Chirackal, a popular urologist and head of the Urology Department at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College and Hospital.

Dr Chirackal had recently taken to social media to expose the acute shortage of equipment and medical supplies in the hospital, despite repeated appeals -- even to the Health Minister’s office.

The protests, particularly intense in the capital, saw BJP workers gathering outside the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital. In several locations, skirmishes broke out between protesters and police, with law enforcement having to use force to disperse crowds.

Health Minister Veena George, along with her private secretary Sajeevan -- regarded as a close aide of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan -- has become the focal point of public anger. Protesters and opposition leaders have accused her of being ineffective and unresponsive to the worsening situation in government hospitals.

Youth Congress vice-president and former MLA K.S. Sabarinath criticised the Minister, saying Veena George must rise to the occasion and, instead of quoting irrelevant statistics, she must address the appalling condition of infrastructure and medicine shortages that plague our public health system.

He also took aim at the ruling LDF government for discontinuing the Karunya Scheme -- introduced by the previous UDF government -- which, he said, had provided critical health support to the poor.

“There is an outstanding amount of Rs 693 crore owed to suppliers of medicines. This backlog is a major reason behind the acute shortage of essential medical supplies,” Sabarinath added.

He further cited National Health Accounts data to underscore the crisis. “Kerala’s out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on medical care stands at Rs 7,889 -- the highest in the country -- forcing people to turn to costly private healthcare due to the collapse of public facilities,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a swift response to Dr Chirackal’s expose, a crucial piece of urological equipment was flown in from Hyderabad, enabling the resumption of full-fledged operations in his department.

A four-member expert committee formed in the wake of Chirackal’s revelations is now conducting a rapid assessment of the situation at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College and Hospital.

The findings of the report are awaited even as Minister George has yet to issue a formal statement on the controversy.

With public pressure mounting and political scrutiny intensifying, the health department is facing its most serious credibility test in Kerala in recent years.

--IANS

sg/skp