Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 21 (PTI) The IMA on Saturday termed the life imprisonment awarded to the convict in the Dr Vandana Das murder case as “disappointing” and urged the Kerala government to file an appeal to ensure maximum punishment.
A Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court on Saturday sentenced G Sandeep to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Dr Vandana Das while on duty in a taluk hospital in May 2023.
The court also awarded a total of 30 years of imprisonment to the convict under different counts and ordered that the convict should undergo these 30 years of imprisonment before commencing life imprisonment.
In a statement, the state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said the verdict has come as a setback to the medical community and called for strengthening the existing hospital protection laws.
IMA state president Dr M N Menon and secretary Dr Roy R Chandran also demanded that hospitals be declared protected zones to ensure the safety of doctors and healthcare staff, stating that only then can medical professionals work without fear while treating patients.
The IMA said the accused had brutally killed the young doctor without any provocation while being brought to the hospital by police for medical examination, and added that exemplary punishment would have helped curb rising incidents of violence in healthcare settings.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) welcomed the court verdict but said the measures to ensure the safety of healthcare workers remain inadequate.
In a statement, the association said while a degree of justice has been delivered, it had expected the maximum punishment in what it described as a “rarest of rare” crime.
It also lauded the Kerala Police and the prosecution for conducting a swift and scientific investigation and securing a conviction.
However, KGMOA raised concerns over the lack of effective implementation of safety measures in hospitals.
Their key recommendations such as deploying State Industrial Security Force (SISF), establishing police aid posts in major hospitals, and conducting periodic security audits, have not been fully realised, it said.
The association also pointed to overcrowding in emergency departments as a contributing factor to violence against healthcare workers, citing recent incidents, including an attack on a doctor at Thamarassery taluk hospital.
KGMOA called for urgent steps, including the implementation of triage systems in all casualty departments, ensuring at least two casualty medical officers per shift, strengthening CCTV infrastructure, and appointing trained security personnel.
It also urged the government to provide modern equipment and training to police and hospital security staff to handle violent situations and to ensure proper doctor-patient ratios across all cadres.
The accused Sandeep had attacked multiple persons, including police officers, before fatally assaulting Dr Vandana Das with surgical scissors at a taluk hospital where he had been brought for treatment. PTI LGK — ADB
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