Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance aimed at amending the existing Act to ensure better protection of healthcare personnel. The nod comes a week after a young house surgeon was stabbed to death by a patient at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital and doctors subsequently launched an agitation demanding heightened security.
The State Government seeks to amend the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012.
The ordinance seeks strict punishment for attacks on doctors, other health professionals and vandalisation of hospitals. It provides for a maximum punishment of up to seven years imprisonment and a fine for attacks against doctors. Another provision is that the trial should be done in special fast track courts and completed within a year.
The amended Act will also cover ministerial staff, security personnel and nursing students besides the health workers. Upon vandalizing properties on hospital premises, a fine amounting to double the loss will be levied on the offenders.
Dr Vandana Das, a house surgeon, was killed by one Sandeep early on May 10 when he was brought to the hospital for treatment by the police.
