Doctors Continue To Stage Protest In Kerala Over Killing Of Young Medico, Raise Slogans

The striking doctors demanded that the state government bring out a new legislation for the protection of hospitals with immediate effect.

Visual of doctors protesting in Kerala and demanding justice for the death of Dr Vandana Das who was stabbed and killed by her own patient

Source : Twitter/@ANI

Doctors, including house surgeons, PG, and MBBS students continued their strike to protest the murder of Dr Vandana Das at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital by a patient. A 42-year-old school teacher who was admitted to the hospital for de-addiction therapy for drug use allegedly stabbed the 23-year-old final year MBBS student Das. While protesting outside the Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, doctors and medical students raised slogans against the killing of the female doctor. 

News agency ANI tweeted a video showcasing the protest in front of the secretariat. 

#WATCH | Kerala: Doctors hold protest in front of secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and demand justice for Dr Vandana Das, who was stabbed to death by her patient pic.twitter.com/a8c4Z5w5ao

— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2023

In the one-and-a-half-minute video, a group of doctors were protesting in white lab coats with stethoscopes hanging around their necks. They were chanting slogans in their local language while demanding justice for the death of the 23-year-old. The doctors were seen holding posters with slogans written on it, some of them read- "This is not the first, hoping to be the last,” “When white turns red your life is at risk,” “Save the saviours, here to serve not to suffer,” etc.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMOA) and Indian Medical Association (IMA) started a statewide protest on Wednesday. The striking doctors demanded that the state government bring out a new legislation for the protection of hospitals with immediate effect. 

Dr Vandana Das was on Wednesday stabbed to death by a prisoner, identified as 42-year-old Sandeep, who was brought to the hospital for treatment. The accused allegedly grabbed surgical scissors and attacked Dr. Das while she was attending to his wounds. Severely injured, the young doctor was immediately moved to a hospital in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram, where she succumbed to her injuries. Four police personnel were also injured in the incident.

The deceased Dr. Vandana was a student at Azeezia Medical College and was appointed in the Kottarakkara Taluk Fospital for her house surgeoncy training.

The shocking incident has triggered protests by doctors across the state, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety measures for medical professionals.