‘Don’t even have paper to reply for notice’; Dr Harris Chirakkal breaks into tears

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr Harris Chirakkal said the situation is that don’t even have a paper here to reply to the notice of the health department. He turned emotional while talking to the media. His response was when he was about to respond to the health department's show cause notice.

Although had informed many times about the lack of surgical equipment, no action was taken. Harris also said the health sector should not be affected by the financial crisis. The doctor, who said that he was not aware of the expert committee report, left from the media.

Harris Chirakkal received the health department's notice saying that the public reactions were causing difficulty to the health department. Many are using these as a move to blemish the health department. The report mentions that the rules cannot be accepted after the matter was posted on Facebook.

Dr Harris' open statement against the sufferings of people at the medical college hospital had turned into a surgical strike in the health department. The popular doctor's protest came after surgeries at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital were repeatedly canceled due to lack of equipment. 'Sack me, I'm tired of this service,' he wrote on Facebook.

He wrote on Facebook that poor patients and relatives are suffering without knowing what to do. He was fed up of pleading with politicians and officials. Shoes torn up by going up and down offices, no time to confront the bureaucracy, surgeries had to be postponed repeatedly due to lack of equipment, he mentioned in his post.

After the doctor's revelation sparked a controversy, the required surgical equipment was delivered to the medical college. The postponed surgeries were later performed. The equipment was delivered by air from Hyderabad. Meantime, the health minister responded to the issue saying that Harris is an honest doctor, a hard worker, and that it is a problem of systems. However, the chief minister showed no mercy and severely criticized the doctor for openly expressing his qualms.