Kochi: Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan on Sunday said that the revelations made by a senior doctor about the shortage of surgical equipment in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital have vindicated the concerns repeatedly raised by the opposition about Kerala’s public health sector.

Addressing the media at Paravur, Satheesan said the ''public health sector of Kerala is on ventilator support'' and called for urgent interventions to save it. He said the disclosures made by Dr Harris Chirakkal, who heads the department of urology at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, regarding shortage of surgical equipment and delays in surgeries at the government-run hospital were shocking.

''This is not about a single department or a hospital. The situation is similar in all government hospitals. The opposition has been repeatedly flagging a shortage of drugs and surgical equipment in government hospitals. The issue was raised in the assembly in January 2024 and March 2025. When we raised the issue, the minister (Veena George) was ridiculing us,'' the Congress leader said.

''In the latest incident, also, the health minister said she would seek a report. How many times has she made similar statements? If we compile the reports she had earlier sought, it will be a huge volume,'' Satheesan said.

Alleging the government’s failure in ensuring the smooth implementation of schemes such as Karunya benevolent fund, Hrudyam and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, Satheesan said the public healthcare system in Kerala has collapsed. ''The truth of the public healthcare system is not what the government shows in public relations campaigns,'' he criticised.

He said the dues to be paid to companies for the purchase of medicines and equipment through the Medical Services Corporation have mounted to crores of rupees. Despite this, the finance minister has cut Rs 300 crore from plan fund for health sector, he said, blaming the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government for not prioritising the key sector.

UDF to form health commissioner
Satheesan said a health commission planned by the Congress-led UDF to study the issues plaguing the sector will come into effect on Monday. The committee, comprising public health experts, will prepare a report and submit it to the government. ''We will also be holding a public health conclave in July,'' he said, citing it as a novel way of creative opposition.