The police shall record a First Information Report (FIR) and register a case within one hour of receiving information on any atrocity or attack on health-care professionals, ordered the Kerala High Court on Thursday.
A Division Bench of the court consisting of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath on Thursday asked station house officers to follow the directives. Attacks on doctors, nurses, staff, security or against the property of a hospital shall be recorded within one hour, directed the Bench, expressing concern on the recurring violence on doctors and health-care professionals. The police should register the FIR within the time frame to ensure swift action against the perpetrators of violence, the court noted.
Lawyers told the court that 138 attacks on health-care professionals had been reported in the State since June 2021. The data indicated that at least 10 to 12 attacks occured every month, the court noted.
The State informed the court that it had implemented its earlier order to establish police outposts in hospitals.
The court, which suo motu impleaded the State Police Chief in the case, felt that the attacks might be recurring due to the impression that the processes of the law were slow and the perpetrators of violence would not be taken to task.
The court posted the case for December 16.
