Woman doctor stabbed in Kerala by man she was treating, doctors hold protest

A 22-year-old woman doctor has been stabbed by a drunk man, who she was treating

A 22-year-old lady doctor was stabbed by a dunk patient on Wednesday at a taluk hospital in Kottarakkara, media reports said.

The man was taken to the hospital after he had engaged in a fight with his family members, police said.

The incident has prompted medical professionals to take to the streets in Kottarakkara in protest against the incident, according to visuals on news channels.

A police official at the Kottarakkara police station said when a wound on the man’s leg was being dressed by the doctor; he suddenly got provoked and attacked everyone standing around using a scissor and scalpel. Police said the man, identified as 42-year-old Sandeep, was a resident of Puyapalli Cherukarakonam and a teacher by profession.

The young doctor succumbed to her injuries and the police personnel who accompanied the man sustained injuries. The doctor was rushed to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram but could not be saved.

Police said the man had called the emergency number to save him from his family members following a fight with them and when police arrived at the scene, they found him injured and took him to the taluk hospital.

“He had consumed alcohol and was violent when we took him to the hospital. He was alone with the doctor as we are not allowed into the room when a patient’s wound is being dressed,” a police official was quoted as saying by PTI.

“Suddenly, there was a commotion and the doctor ran out screaming for help followed by the man who was carrying a scissor and a scalpel and was shouting ‘I will kill you’,” the officer said and added it was not yet known why he got so violent and targeted the doctor.

When the police officers at the scene tried to stop him, he attacked them too. Besides the doctor, four others were injured by the man who also vandalised some areas of the hospital, the officer said.

“He was later subdued with much difficulty and taken into custody,” the officer said.

He also said though after the attack, a case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for attempted murder was lodged, in view of the doctor’s death, murder charges were likely to be imposed on the accused.

Reacting to the incident, an Indian Medical Association (IMA) official told a TV channel that it was an unfortunate and sad incident and doctors across Kerala will be protesting against the same.

“Such incidents should not happen. We (doctors) cannot continue working in such circumstances. It is unacceptable that our lives are in danger when we are trying to save lives. We had in the past too indicated our objections to such attacks on medical professionals. We are angry and sad over the incident,” he was quoted by PTI as saying.

The IMA official said the doctor was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was at the taluk hospital as part of her training.

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