Thiruvananthapuram The Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the police to register a case within an hour of receiving information about an attack on doctors and other health care professionals in the state.
The court expressed serious concern over increasing instances of attacks against doctors and healthcare officials and said on an average 10 to 12 such attacks takes place every month. A division bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Kauser Edappagath suo motu impleaded the state police and gave the order.
The court was hearing a plea filed by the Kerala Private Hospitals Association citing recurring attacks against hospital staff by relatives of patients and visitors.
“We are of the firm view that every incident of attack on a doctor or healthcare official including any other staff, be that security or other, will have to be taken cognizance of by the station house officer of concerned police station not later than one hour from the time on which it is reported to him,” the court ordered.
When the plea was taken up the counsel for the petitioner said since June 2021, 138 such cases were reported. “This is distressing, this means at least 10 or 12 such cases take place every day,” the court observed adding unless a sense of fear of law was instilled such cases will go up. The court also asked the government to appraise citizens about the gravity of such offences and the manner in which the court will deal with it in future.
{{/usCountry}}When the plea was taken up the counsel for the petitioner said since June 2021, 138 such cases were reported. “This is distressing, this means at least 10 or 12 such cases take place every day,” the court observed adding unless a sense of fear of law was instilled such cases will go up. The court also asked the government to appraise citizens about the gravity of such offences and the manner in which the court will deal with it in future.
{{/usCountry}}Last week a woman doctor was injured in Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital after she was attacked by a relative of the patient. The HC’s intervention is a big boost to doctors and other who often end up as victims. Three months back in Kozhikode medical college hospital a group of left youth wing (DFYI) workers attacked a security officer, an ex-military man, seriously after he questioned about their visiting time. There were many attempts to shield them but finally arrested after all courts denied bail to them.