Kerala: Last rites for doctor stabbed to death on duty performed

Kottayam (Kerala) [India], May 11 ( ANI): The mortal remains of Vandana Das, the doctor who was stabbed to death, by a patient at a Kerala government hospital in Kollam district was on Thursday consigned to flames at her hometown in Muttuchira in the State's Kottayam district.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan was among the large number of people who had gathered at the late doctor's home to pay their final tributes.

"Paid my last respects to Dr Vandana Das at her residence & offered condolences to her family members. It was heart wrenching to see the pain of her parents. No other parent should face such a tragedy," Muraleedharan tweeted.

"Demand @pinarayivijayan Govt to address the concerns raised by health workers immediately and ensure their safety and security," a subsequent tweet said.

Kottarakkara magistrate court on Wednesday remanded the accused G Sandeep, 42, an upper primary school teacher.

On Wednesday Kerala's Department of Public Education suspended Sandeep from his position as a teacher at Nedumbana UP School. The suspension was initiated after a departmental inquiry on the instructions of Public Education Minister V Sivankutty. Sandeep was reportedly under treatment at a deaddiction centre.

Sandeep was brought to the government hospital in the early hours of Wednesday by the Police after he sustained injuries from a brawl he was engaged in near his house.

The accused suddenly grabbed a pair of scissors from the dressing table and stabbed doctor Vandana six times causing injuries to her abdomen and back Turning violent and having grabbed scissors from the dressing room.

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

The incident caused widespread protest among the doctor community in the State. Medical students from different colleges under the aegis of the House Surgeon Students Union and PG Doctors Association staged a mass protest in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. They launched an emergency 24 hour-strike which continued on Thursday also.

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

The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Kauser Edappagath criticised the state government and the police strongly. The court said, "If you can't protect the doctors, shut down the hospitals."

The court observed that the police should have intervened the moment the accused prompted to attack. (ANI)