Dr Vandana Das Death aftermath: Kerala Govt finally Announces Panel, Additional Measures to ensure safety of doctors
Thiruvananthapuram: Amidst the protest from doctors demanding new legislation to ensure safety of medical professionals at their workplace following the gruesome killing of Dr. Vandana Das, the State Government of Kerala has announced more measures to assuage their concerns, including setting up of a panel to address the fraternity’s long-pending demands.
The proposed committee, to be headed by the secretary of medical education, would study various issues raised by postgraduate students and house surgeons and submit a report within one month, Health Minister Veena George said.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) would be released soon for those who go to work in other hospitals as part of their medical residency programme.
Issues being faced by house surgeons would also be looked into by the panel, which would take steps to modernise the residency manual, Minister George said in a statement here. The manual sets down working patterns, duties and other rules and guidelines for residents and medical officers.
The minister also directed the respective department heads to ensure adequate leave for medical students. The directions were given to officials during a meeting chaired by the minister with the representatives of various organisations of PG students and house surgeons, the statement said.
Besides the medical education secretary, various other higher officials including medical college principals and superintendents also took part in the meeting.
Medical Fraternity in Kerala have been protesting for the last few days after Dr Vandana Das was murdered at her workplace by a patient. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that Dr. Vandana Das was brutally stabbed to death with scissors at a government hospital in Kerala's Kollam district allegedly by a prisoner who was brought to the facility for a medical examination by the Police.
The deceased Dr Das was employed as a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital but was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training.
Five others, including the policeman, sustained injuries during the incident. The doctor was immediately taken to a private hospital in Kottarakkara, where she died while undergoing treatment. The incident took place at the government taluk hospital in Kottarakkara, police said.
Aggrieved over the incident, the medical students, under the aegis of the House Surgeons Association, commenced a protest raising slogans of 'Inquilab Zindabad'. Indian Medical Association (IMA) also called for a total strike across the State.
Now the State Government of Kerala on Friday has announced more measures to address the concerns of doctors across the State and the Government has also decided to set up a panel to address the long-pending demands of the medical fraternity.
Announcing this, Health Minister Veena George urged the doctors to give up their agitation and she also said that the government stands strong with the healthcare fraternity. “Healthcare workers should no longer be attacked. Strict action will be taken. A public address system will be implemented in medical colleges,” George said.
Stating that safety audits should be implemented in all hospitals in the state in a time-bound manner, she said police outposts would be set up in medical facilities.
Hospitals will also be equipped with CCTV surveillance systems, the minister said, adding that the number of bystanders who accompany patients would be limited to one and two in wards and casualties respectively.
On Tuesday, the state government decided to bring out an ordinance to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals in hospitals. The ordinance to amend the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012 would be introduced in the next cabinet meeting, the CMO said.
The decision was taken in the wake of doctors intensifying their demonstrations, seeking justice for Dr Das who was stabbed to death by a man brought to the government hospital by police in the wee hours of Wednesday morning for dressing a wound.
Meanwhile, Dr Das’s colleagues on Friday came out against the government and police criticising the law enforcers for failing to take enough precautionary measures at the hospital, which resulted in her death. If there were enough facilities in the hospital where the doctor was attacked, her life could have been saved, they told reporters here.
So, it was the failure of the administrative system, the doctors alleged. They also criticised the Health Minister’s attempt at assuaging their feelings with the announcement that a new hospital block would be named after Dr Vandana Das.
Leader of opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan also continued to criticise the government over the matter and said the top officials and the government are trying to justify the police in the incident despite the embarrassment it brought to the entire force.
“Why is the chief minister silent despite the embarrassment the incident brought to the entire force?” he asked.
Alleging widespread irregularities in the FIR, Satheesan also asked how could the people of the state have faith in the police even if the First Information Report of the murder that shook the state was “written wrongly”.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the murder of Dr. Das has been taken over by the Kerala crime branch.“The District Crime Branch will probe the matter now," a senior district police official told PTI. The accused, G Sandeep, a school teacher by profession, is currently under judicial custody.
As per the latest media report by India Times, while Dr. Vandana was the first doctor to be killed as a result of attacks by patients and their attendants, the incidents involving violence against doctors are not uncommon in both private and government hospitals across the State.
Referring to this, the President of IMA Kerala, Dr Sulphi Noohu informed the daily that every month five cases of attacks on doctors are reported in Kerala. IMA further alleged that in the last three years 200 such attacks have been reported in Kerala. The association has further alleged that in most of the cases, the accused does not get even arrested by police.
Demanding legislation to protect medical professionals from the instances of violence at their workplace, Dr Nooh has opined that the law should be named after the late doctor.
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