Doctors in Kerala have launched widespread protests after Dr Vandana Das, a young doctor, was stabbed to death by a patient in the Kollam district. They are demanding immediate legislation to protect hospitals from such incidents.
Responding to the murder and the subsequent protests, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for an urgent high-level meeting on Thursday to discuss the protection of health workers in his state.
In response to the call for protest by various organisations, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the majority of doctors in the state have not reported to work in hospitals for the past 24 hours. The organisation has called for the implementation of Central laws and measures and to declare hospitals as "safe zones."
They are staging a protest in front of the Thiruvananthapuram Secretariat, demanding protection for doctors in hospitals.
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Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMO) has also announced a strike today, resulting in disruptions to Out Patient (OP) services while exempting Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and casualties.
Only emergency services at operational at the General Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram due to the doctors' strike.
Protesting organisations are urging the government to designate hospitals as special protection zones due to the increasing number of attacks on doctors during duty hours. They argue that such measures are necessary to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals.
What was the incident?
The tragic incident occurred at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital in the Kollam district, where 23-year-old Dr Vandana Das was stabbed to death while attending to a patient with a leg wound around 4:30 am on May 10.
The attacker, identified as a drug addict, became agitated and launched a sudden assault on everyone present in the hospital room. Despite efforts to subdue the assailant, the young doctor sustained fatal injuries and later succumbed to them in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
The accused was identified as S Sandeep, a 42-year-old government school teacher, who was brought in for a medical check-up by the police. Sandeep was taken into police custody on May 9 after a brawl with his neighbours.
The Kerala government promptly suspended him from his teaching role. The state's Education Minister, V Sivankutty, assured that further action would be taken against him.
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has also taken note of the matter and requested a report from the Kollam district police chief within seven days.
Kerala High Court calls killing a 'systematic failure' of police, government
Expressing concern, the Kerala High Court attributed the incident to failures on the part of the police and government. It requested a report from the state police chief and their virtual presence during the proceedings scheduled for Thursday morning.
Directing the State Police Chief to appear online on May 10, the court took suo moto cognisance of the matter.
The court criticised the authorities for their inability to protect doctors, describing it as a "complete breakdown" of the protection system.
The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Kauser Edappagath scolded the state, "If you can't protect the doctors, shut down the hospitals."
Opposition slams government
Following the tragedy, hundreds of individuals, including ministers and MLAs, paid their respects to Dr Vandana Das at her residence in Muttuchira, Kottayam. State Health Minister Veena George and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan were among those who expressed condolences to the grieving family.
Das' mortal remains were brought to her native place in Kottayam from Thiruvananthapuram after she was stabbed at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital.
Political parties have engaged in a heated exchange over the incident. Health Minister Veena George's statement, suggesting that Dr Vandana Das was inexperienced and scared during the attack, drew criticism from the opposition. State Congress chief K Sudhakaran demanded clarification, describing the statement as inappropriate.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan blamed the negligence of the police for the doctor's murder, emphasising the need for hospitals to be safe places. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, V Muraleedharan, expressed shock and concern over the incident, criticising the government's failure to protect healthcare workers.
With agency inputs.
