The swift and unexpected manner in which Kerala's Director of Health Services (DHS) K.J. Reena was transferred out by the government is snowballing into a debate over the propriety as well as the timing of the government action, especially since the State is battling various epidemics now.

Dr. Reena, who was transferred as Director, Regional Public Health Laboratory, Ernakulam, a post that was “temporarily upgraded to the level equivalent to that of the DHS,” as per the government order (GO), to accommodate the DHS, said that the government move had come as a shocker.

She added that if the government was not interested in keeping her on as the head of the State’s public health, she could have been given an honourable exit considering that she had put in 30 years of service with the Health department.

Dr. Reena was due to retire from service in April 2027.

The government order which came out on Friday (June 12, 2026) merely stated that Dr. Reena had completed three years as the DHS and that the government would be considering the selection process for the appointment of a regular DHS. It also added another statement that Dr. Reena had availed 15 days’ leave during the epidemic period, setting off the speculation that she was booted out for seeking leave at a time when the public health system was under considerable strain.

Minister's stance

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan who faced a barrage of questions on Saturday (June 13, 2026), on the manner in which the government had removed the DHS, denied reports that she was transferred because she had taken a leave of absence.

Mr. Muraleedharan said that the DHS was transferred on the basis of a note submitted by the Principal Secretary (Health) that Dr. Reena had completed the three years’ term as DHS and that the government was now free to extend her service or call for a selection process to select a new person to the post. He went on to add that the transfer was also in response to “some actions of the DHS, which did not go down well with the government.”

Letter to Devaswom Commissioner

He referred to a letter written by Dr. Reena on May 20, 2026 to the Devaswom Commissioner, requesting the board to appoint dedicated medical personnel for providing medical services during the upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage season, as the deployment of a huge number of government doctors and paramedical staff for several days together was creating a major financial crisis as well as huge human resource crisis in public hospitals.

She suggested that appointing a dedicated team of doctors and paramedics for the pilgrimage season would be a viable solution to the HR crisis and disruption of services faced by the Health department.

Mr. Muraleedharan took affront that the DHS had sent such communication without consulting the government and said that this had also contributed to the government’s decision to remove her from the post of the DHS.

Contentious matter

The appointment of a host of doctors and paramedical personnel from the Health department during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season at Sabarimala has always been a contentious matter within the Health department and the medical fraternity. Government doctors point out that anaesthetists, surgeons, and orthopaedicians all end up serving time at Sabarimala when public hospitals were struggling due to staff shortage.

Sources at the Health department said that Dr. Reena’s letter was a carefully worded one explaining the issues faced by the department and that nowhere in the letter does she take the stand that the Health Services cannot provide medical personnel to Sabarimala.

They said that while it was normal for every government to have their choice of persons to head departments, it was unusual that a person with long years in the department was being forced to leave under a cloud.