The Kerala High Court has heavily criticized the state government for not safeguarding healthcare workers after a 25-year-old woman doctor was killed at Kottarakkara Taluk hospital. The court said, “Why don’t the government shut down the hospitals, if it can’t guarantee the safety of the doctors? Kerala has been witnessing strange incidents which no other state in the country had reported ever.” The court questioned the security of doctors in government hospitals and pointed out the police lapses in controlling the accused, demanding an explanation from the DGP over the incident.
The victim, Dr. Vandana Das, was a house surgeon at the hospital and was stabbed to death by a school teacher while being treated. The Kerala High Court had expressed concern over such incidents last December, directing authorities to register an FIR within an hour of any incident. The court also made the Station House Officer of the police station concerned responsible for taking cognizance of every attack not later than one hour from the time of reporting. Health Minister Veena George condemned the incident and said that the government has a strong stand against attacks on health workers. The Kerala chapter of the Indian Medical Association has announced a massive state-wide strike to protest against the incident, demanding strict action against perpetrators and exemplary punishment to act as a deterrent.
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