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Protests mount in Kerala following the death of Dr Vandana Das, a 22-year-old house surgeon who was stabbed by a man brought in for treatment at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital in Kollam. Four police personnel were also injured in the incident that happened during the early hours of Wednesday, May 10.
The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) has called for a one-day statewide strike in protest, and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also called for a 24-hour protest and strike in the state. The IMA has been protesting violence against doctors for many years now, repeatedly demanding action. Various Medical Colleges also conducted protest marches in the state, led by the House Surgeons Associations and KGMOA.
The deceased Vandana was a student at Azeezia Medical College and was appointed in the Kottarakkara taluk hospital for her house surgeoncy training. She was stabbed to death by 42-year-old Sandeep, a school teacher from Pooyappally in Kollam.
“This is not an isolated case and there are many safety threats that we have been facing. The accused was brought without a handcuff. Vandana was doing her duty at 4 am when he was brought in, and at that time, most people are asleep. We skip our sleep just to serve our patients. She was one among us and if it is Vandana today, tomorrow it could be me. This outcry of the media will end in a day then again, we are back to the same situation,” said Dr Nadiya, one of Vandana's colleagues, to the media.
Kerala House Surgeons Association Secretary Dr Aslam told TNM that they are observing a day-long strike and calling off duties in protest. “We house surgeons are not registered medical officers, and as per rules, only medical officers should handle night duty at hospitals. But hospitals make us take up night shifts and we are often alone all night. There have been several incidents where patients, their bystanders, and relatives behave badly with us. They abuse us and sometimes even attempt to manhandle us,” he said.
Dr Kiran, a representative of the Kerala House Surgeons Association told TNM that they have no safety at work. “We will skip our duties as a protest until tomorrow morning. Later, we will decide on the mode of our future protests to ensure safety for our community,¨ he said.
Athira M, a house surgeon from Kozhikode district told TNM that such attacks on medical staff have become so common that it is scary. “We are really scared. The relatives of patients venting out their anger on us have become very common. They shout and abuse us, and nobody cares despite our protests. Now, one among us has died, and in a few days, this uproar will be over and we will be back to our duties in the same unsafe conditions. At least now the government and law enforcement system should understand our situation,” she said.
KGMOA state president Dr TN Suresh said in a statement that all services except emergency treatments will remain suspended in the state on May 10. “All services including casualty are suspended within the Kollam district. We demand that strict measures be taken to prevent the recurrence of such diabolical incidents and ask for exemplary punishment for the accused,” the statement read.
He also added that the KGMOA has urged the government to strengthen staff security in hospitals and to ensure that strict precautions are taken while bringing people who are in police custody for medical examination, as well as to urgently implement a triage system.
Opposition leader VD Satheesan alleged that the young doctor’s death is a consequence of police negligence. “The police did not take safety precautions when bringing a drug addict to the hospital. Such incidents are happening in various medical colleges and hospitals under the health department. The current Health Minister has ordered the most number of such investigations in the state's history. This minister's name should be in the Guinness Book of Records for generating the most inquiries,” the Opposition leader told reporters in Wayanad.
¨The government must urgently stop making hospitals unsafe places. Despite many laws including the Medical Establishment Act, doctors and health workers are constantly complaining about the lack of safety at the workplace,” he added.
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