Thiruvananthapuram | The show cause notice issued to the head of the Urology department at the Thiruvananthapuram government medical college hospital (MCH) was only part of a routine department-level action, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Friday.
The Director of Medical Education (DME) had on Thursday issued a show cause notice to Haris Chirackal, asking why action should not be taken against him for criticising the government in violation of the Kerala Government Servants' Conduct Rules,1960, causing disgrace to the government.
Through a Facebook post on June 27, Dr Chirakkal had expressed his resentment against the non-availability of an equipment accessory for an important surgery in his department at the medical college.
The post was widely discussed in the public domain and several such inadequacies at various government hospitals in the state were highlighted by the media.
The minister said a four-member expert panel was constituted to examine the doctor's action and based on its report, the DME had sought an explanation from the doctor. “It is a routine official procedure,” she said.
George said the expert panel had found that Dr Chirakkal had violated service rules by going public about the issue and not approaching higher-ups in the department.
The panel had also reported that part of an equipment at the Urology department was found missing and recommended a separate enquiry into the matter.
Besides this, the panel also suggested that the purchasing power of superintendents of medical college hospitals, who are also Hospital Development Committee (HDC) secretaries, be increased, George said.
Sharply reacting to the action against the doctor who complained about lack of facilities at the MCH, Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan said on Friday that the state is being ruled by a few people who will not shy away from doing whatever they want.
“The government is even trying to trap the doctor in a theft case now,” he alleged.
Dr Chirakkal told reporters that he would give a reply to the notice within seven days as directed by the DME.