Thiruvananthapuram: A senior government doctor has sharply criticised the state of healthcare at the Government Medical College Hospital after the death of a cardiac patient, highlighting long-standing infrastructure and treatment issues.
Dr. Haris Chirakkal, head of the Urology Department, called the death of Venu, a resident of Kollam, “tragic” and “disturbing.” He revealed that the patient had been made to lie on the floor due to overcrowding, raising questions about basic standards of care.
“How can a patient be expected to receive treatment while lying on the floor? This is utterly inhumane,” Dr. Chirakkal said during a public programme. He added that the situation had worsened over the decades, noting that more patients are now forced to lie on the floor than when he joined the institution as a student in 1986.
Dr. Chirakkal also expressed concern over patients being compelled to travel long distances for treatment at the hospital. He argued that merely opening more medical colleges across the state would not address the core issues, and that there is an urgent need for tertiary care centres with super-speciality capabilities.
The death of Venu, who was undergoing treatment for a heart condition, has sparked allegations of medical negligence from his family. While the hospital’s medical superintendent denied any lapses, the Congress-led UDF opposition blamed the state government and Health Minister Veena George for failing to ensure proper care.
Earlier, in a social media post, Dr. Chirakkal had highlighted chronic shortages of essential surgical equipment, which had resulted in postponed operations and prolonged suffering for patients. Despite repeated assurances from authorities, the problems persist, he said, leaving patients in severe distress while awaiting treatment.
His remarks have intensified scrutiny of the hospital’s infrastructure and prompted political debate over healthcare management in the state, with calls for urgent reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future.