An outpouring of public grief, anger and condemnation swamped the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the bleak aftermath of the workplace murder of young house surgeon Vandana Das at the Kottarakara taluk hospital early on Wednesday.
As the grim news spread, medical professionals and Opposition parties took to the streets in droves across the State, holding the Health department and the police accountable for the doctor’s killing. They also renewed their call for better protection of hospitals. The high-voltage anti-government protests threw the functioning of hospitals out of gear temporarily.
Doctors’ organisations questioned why the police had not handcuffed the assailant when they escorted him to the hospital. They alleged that the officers fled in the face of the knife attack.
Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, M.R. Ajith Kumar, said the police saw no reason to handcuff an injured person who called the control room for help.
Nevertheless, the Kerala High Court’s damning observation about the allegedly inadequate police response gave credence to the Opposition’s accusation that law enforcement failed the public.
The Opposition parties also targeted Health Minister Veena George for reacting “insensitively” to the harrowing incident. Ms. George observed that the doctor “was inexperienced and panicked.” She later said the media and the Opposition had cherry-picked her words and dropped them out of context to portray the government in poor light.
However, Ms. George’s words cut no ice with the Opposition or the doctors’ organisations. A health professional posted on social media that physicians studied medicine, not self-defence.
Ms. George also came under criticism within the LDF, with Kerala Congress (B) leader K.B. Ganesh Kumar holding the Health department accountable for the “lack of security and free-for-all environment in government hospitals.”
Earlier, Ms. George said the government weighed an ordinance to afford higher hospital protection.
Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan said the police repeatedly failed to protect citizens’ lives and property and blamed them for the doctor’s killing. BJP State general secretary George Kurian echoed a similar sentiment.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called on Ms. Das’ bereaved parents.
Mr. Vijayan termed the attack “shocking” and said officers sustained injuries while subduing the assailant. He promised to protect hospitals and doctors from vandalism and violence.
