Dr Vandana Das murder case: Kerala to issue ordinance to ensure safety of doctors, Crime Branch takes over case

Police announced on Friday that the district crime branch has taken up the investigation into the tragic death of a young doctor in this area at the hands of a patient she was treating. As part of her training, Dr. Vandana Das, a house surgeon at the Azeezia Medical College Hospital, worked at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital. In the early hours of Wednesday, she was fatally stabbed by a man that the police had brought there.

“The District Crime Branch will probe the matter now,” a senior district police official told the source. The Kerala government said it was going to issue an ordinance amending the law for protection of hospitals to ensure the safety of doctors and healthcare professionals in the state.

The decision was announced by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the wake of the killing of a 23-year-old doctor Vandana Das at a taluk hospital in Kollam district by a man brought there for treatment by the police, and the resultant widespread protests by doctors, medical students and healthcare professionals. He said the ordinance would be introduced in the next cabinet meeting.

The Kerala High Court said the killing of a 23-year-old doctor at a taluk hospital in Kollam district of the state a day ago by a man she was treating was the outcome of the systemic failure.

A special bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath directed the State Police Chief to come out with a new set of protocols for ensuring security of the doctors and other healthcare professionals in all government hospitals in the state.
“Police need to pull up their socks on a war footing,” the bench said during the hearing.
The court said that if another doctor or healthcare professional is attacked, the State DGP would be held responsible.

During the hearing of the matter, State Police Chief Anil Kant and ADGP Law and order M R Ajith Kumar told the bench that they would come out with a new set of protocols within a week.

They also told the court that the State Industrial Security Force (SISF) has young, armed and trained personnel picked from the police and are available for deployment at hospitals on payment basis. However, the state government would have to decide whether they will foot the bill for deployment of these personnel in the government hospitals.