Thiruvananthapuram, June 9 (UNI) Several emergency surgeries were stopped indefinitely due to a shortage of equipment at the country's prestigious 'Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST).

Surgeries in the Interventional Radiology department were stopped for the last few days as the patients admitted for emergency surgeries have also been discharged, sources told UNI.

The companies supplying equipment say that they are not able to supply it at the old rate following the increase in price of foreign-made surgical equipment. Sree Chithira purchases surgical equipment only through the Government e Marketplace (GeM) Portal as per the Central Government's instructions.

There is also a serious allegation that an unholy nexus between the supply companies demanding a price hike of surgical equipment and a top few in the Institute led to the current crisis.

UNI DS ARN