Government doctors agitate across Kerala protesting against attack on colleague

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 9 (PTI) Government doctors across Kerala staged protests on Thursday after a colleague of theirs was attacked at a government-run hospital in Kozhikode district, an incident that has reignited concerns over violence against medical staff.

As part of the protest, government doctors across Kerala boycotted all services except patient care.

In Kozhikode district, only emergency services remained functional at government hospitals, the Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMOA) said.

Protest programmes were organised at hospitals across the state in the morning.

On Wednesday Dr Vipin was seriously injured after being attacked with a machete by a man at the Thamarassery Taluk Hospital. The assailant, whose young daughter had recently died of amoebic meningitis, was arrested soon after the incident.

Vipin, who suffered a head injury, was rushed to a private hospital for treatment. His condition is currently stable.

Doctors at Thamarassery Taluk Hospital also held a peaceful dharna in front of the hospital.

"Doctors are under constant pressure due to frequent attacks. We are working at the risk of our lives. The safety of doctors must be ensured. What was Dr Vipin’s fault," Dr Kiran, the KGMOA coordinator at Thamarassery Taluk Hospital, asked.

He added that lack of awareness about amoebic meningitis often led to doctors being unfairly blamed and stressed that people should be educated about the disease.

As part of the protest, KGMOA demanded that the government fulfil the assurances it had given after the murder of house surgeon Vandana Das at Kottarakkara in 2023 by a patient.

The association urged the government to declare hospitals as special security zones, set up police outposts at major hospitals, deploy the State Industrial Security Force (SISF) for hospital protection, install CCTV cameras in all hospitals, and ensure the appointment of ex-servicemen as hospital security staff.

It also demanded that at least two doctors be posted in the emergency departments of government hospitals during each shift, they added.

Meanwhile, Ramnbisa, the wife of Sanoop, who attacked the doctor, said in Kozhikode that she does not agree with his actions.

"Everyone should live within the bounds of society, and I do not agree with his method of attacking the doctor. He should have approached the matter legally. We should have demanded an investigation into the death of our daughter and ensured justice," she said.

She added that she never expected Sanoop to attack the doctor.

"He was depressed after doctors at Kozhikode Medical College told us that our child could have been saved if she had been shifted from Thamarassery government hospital in time," she said. PTI TBA TBA SA