Killing of doctor in taluk hospital due to police, govt failure: Kerala HC

The Kerala high court on Wednesday (May 10) came down heavily on the state government and the police for their “failure” in trying to protect doctors, after a 23-year-old doctor was killed at a taluk hospital in Kottarakkara area of Kollam district by a man she was treating.

The court said in the past it had warned that such an incident could occur if nothing was done.

“This is what we were scared of. We had said in the past that something like this could happen,” said the Kerala high court special bench, comprising of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath.

Pointing out that though the police was trained and expected to protect women and children, they had failed to protect the young doctor, the bench said, “It is a complete failure of the system. Having an aid post in a hospital is not enough. When you (police) knew the man was acting abnormally, you should have restrained him.”

Also read: Patient stabs woman doctor to death in Kerala hospital

Further, the Kerala high court bench observed that they should be able to anticipate the unanticipated or else there is no need for the police. And pointing out that over time we have become casual, the bench asked that did they not fail this girl?

A “fear psychosis” has been created among the doctors, medical students and their parents because of this incident, added the court.

“Doctors have gone on strike. What excuse would you give for denial of treatment to thousands of patients as a result? Can you blame the doctors for any problem caused to any patient today due to the strike?” the court asked the state government.

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The doctor was stabbed to death allegedly by a man, a school teacher under suspension, who was brought there by police after being involved in a fight with his family members.
According to an officer of Kottarakkara police, while a leg wound on the man, identified as Sandeep, was being dressed by doctor Vandana Das, he suddenly got provoked and attacked everyone standing there using a scissor and scalpel.

The incident occurred during the early hours of Wednesday morning and Das succumbed to her injuries a few hours later.

The brunt of the attack was borne by the young doctor while the police personnel who accompanied the man were also injured. The doctor was rushed to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram but could not be saved.