Doctors Hold Protests Across Kerala Demanding Security In Hospitals

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr Vipin P T, who was attacked at Thamarassery Taluk Hospital in Kozhikode district on Wednesday, underwent plastic surgery for a skull wound.

The government doctors across Kerala protested, demanding better security.

The private hospital where Dr Vipin is being treated reported his condition is stable.

The attack occurred when Dr Vipin was assaulted by Sanoop, the father of nine-year-old Anaya who died of amoebic meningoencephalitis on August 14.

Sanoop, 40, came to the hospital and wanted to see the medical superintendent. Suddenly, he became violent and attacked Dr Vipin with a machete, shouting repeatedly, "You killed my daughter"! During the attack.

He accused the hospital staff of negligence and lapses in treatment that led to his daughter's death, while the family also alleged that the cause of death was concealed.

Sanoop's wife, Rambisa, shared that her husband was deeply upset after doctors at the Kozhikode Medical College informed them that their child might have survived if she had been transferred from Thamarassery Hospital in time.

However, she disagreed with her husband's attack on the doctor, stating that he should have pursued the matter legally and demanded a proper investigation into their daughter's death.

In response to the attack, government doctors across Kerala protested on Thursday, disrupting services except for emergencies. Hospitals in the Kozhikode district were particularly affected as doctors boycotted their duties, only handling emergency cases. Protests, including dharnas and meetings, were held outside hospitals statewide.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) and IMA called for stronger security measures for doctors. They urged the government to declare hospitals as special security zones, establish police outposts at major hospitals, deploy the State Industrial Security Force (SISF) for protection, install CCTV cameras and appoint ex-servicemen as security staff.