Kerala doctor murder: IMA urges CM Vijayan for ordinance to protect health workers

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 11 (ANI): A representation of doctors under the leadership of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raising certain demands over the protection of health workers after a doctor was murdered earlier this week.

IMA state president Dr Sulphi Noohu said that they have demanded a new ordinance to protect health workers in the state.

"Doctors under the leadership of IMA met Kerala CM at his chamber. We have demanded an ordinance immediately regarding hospital protection within a time frame. Our second demand was to have a special protection zone that includes CCTV cameras, and security forces. Hospitals should be declared a safe zone, and 500 meters of the surrounding must be declared as a special protected zone. Also, we have requested the government to conduct a special enquiry into the incident at Kottarakkara and we have further demanded compensation for the family of Dr Vandana," Dr Sulphi Noohu told ANI.

He further mentioned that the new act should be named after the deceased Dr Vandana and has given a deadline to the government to accept their demands by the morning of May 12.

"We have requested the government to put the name of Dr Vandana in the upcoming act. We also requested to implement a government order of 2021 which says that there should be cameras and other systems to monitor. We are continuing our demand. We are continuing our strike upto tomorrow. We will have a meeting of our joint action committee today evening and we will get the feedback of all the doctors, medical students and junior doctors and then move accordingly," he said.

"Also, we have some recommendations. There should be an FIR within one hour after the reporting of the incident. We need to have a court verdict in such cases within one year. All other staff in the hospital which includes security staff, nursing staff, and ministerial staff should come under the new rule," he added.

Deceased Dr Vandana Das (23) was murdered after the accused S Sandeep (42) stabbed the house surgeon in the hospital on Tuesday.

The accused who was under police custody was brought to the government hospital for a mandatory medical checkup.

He also attacked others and vandalised the hospital. A home guard and a sub-inspector also sustained stab injuries. Dr Vandana was shifted to KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she succumbed to her injuries, police added.

Kerala's Kottarakkara magistrate court on Wednesday remanded accused G Sandeep for 14 days in the house surgeon Dr Vandana Das murder case. (ANI)