THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A serious crisis has emerged at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute, one of the country’s premier healthcare institutions. The Interventional Radiology Department has decided to postpone all surgeries scheduled to begin on Monday due to the lack of availability of surgical equipment, including stents. Doctors from the Imaging Science and Interventional Radiology Department have jointly submitted a letter highlighting the issue to the Institute's Director, Sanjay Bihari.

The situation threatens to bring to a standstill advanced procedures that treat vascular disorders throughout the body—except the heart—using stents. Hundreds of patients, who consider Sree Chitra their last hope between life and death, have registered and are waiting for surgery in this department.

According to central government guidelines, only Indian-made surgical materials can be procured through the GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal. However, the stents required for Interventional Radiology are foreign-made. In such cases, the institute’s purchase department traditionally floats tenders, negotiates with low-cost suppliers, and fixes rates for a year.

Doctors allege that since 2023, the current Director has failed to initiate this process. Although the contracts with previous suppliers have expired, they have not been renewed. Despite repeated requests over the past two years, no action has been taken. The institute’s administration maintains that purchases outside the GeM portal could raise audit issues.

2,500 surgeries annually

Sree Chitra is the only government institution in the state that effectively offers interventional radiology services, performing around 2,500 surgeries annually. Patients from both within and outside the state rely on the institute. This department specialises in advanced treatments such as brain and vascular procedures without opening the skull and restoring blood flow in limbs to prevent amputation.