Kerala doctor death: Doctors continue protest demanding workplace safety

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 11 ( ANI): The Kerala doctors continued their protest on Thursday over the incident of a woman doctor’s death by stabbing while on duty by a patient.

Hospitals across the state have seen doctors only attending emergency services.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) said they would continue their strike till 8 am on Friday. They will decide their future course of action after wide consultation among the doctor community in the state.

The doctor, Vandana Das (23), on Wednesday, was on duty at a government hospital in Kerala’s Kollam district when she was stabbed to death by a school teacher who was brought to the medical facility for a medical examination by the police.

IMA also demanded that the government declare hospitals as protection zones. These two demands will be raised in a meeting on Thursday that they will have with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said IMA Kerala President Dr. Sulfi.

IMA also demanded that Vandana’s murder should be investigated by a special investigation team.

Kerala’s Kottarakkara magistrate court on Wednesday remanded accused G Sandeep for 14 days in the Dr Vandana Das murder case.

Sandeep was also suspended from his position as a teacher at Nedumbana UP School by Kerala’s Department of Public Education.

Medical students from different colleges under the aegis of House Surgeon Students Union and PG Doctors Association staged a mass protest in front of the Secretariat in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district on Wednesday

The doctors also on Wednesday launched an emergency 24-hour-strike at hospitals across the state.

Taking suo moto cognizance of the Murder Kerala High Court on Wednesday slammed the state government and asked to shut down the hospitals if the government cannot protect the doctors.

The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Kauser Edappagath said, “If you can’t protect the doctors, shut down the hospitals.”