Kerala Protests Demand Veena George’s Resignation
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Residents of Kerala are demanding Health Minister Veena George’s resignation following a horrific accident at Kottayam’s Government Medical College. There was a great public outcry in May 2023 after a patient killed Vandana Das, a twenty-two-year-old house surgeon, on hospital property. The event has raised questions about medical staff safety and has also brought to the state government’s handling of hospital security and administrative obligations more public notice. As part of her house surgency, medical student in her final year at Azeezia Medical College in Kollam, Dr. Vandana Das was posted to the Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital. Reports say the teacher, intoxicated and undergoing treatment for wounds, unexpectedly became aggressive and stabbed her several times while she was attending to a patient brought in by police. As Vandana passed from her wounds despite her attempts to be saved, the whole country wept with rage and suffering. The government-run hospital, which was under police guard, saw a terrible massacre that drew intense political and social censure. Students, opposition parties, and medical groups have organized marches, protests, and slogans against the health minister and the ruling government in several places. Particularly among young doctors, they assert there have been a great deal of police misconduct, security breaches, and security holes. Health Minister Veena George has come under criticism as her ministry did not follow established security norms in public hospitals, even after warnings and prior incidents. According protestors, it drove the public uproar over her response to the event, which was thought to be insensitive and lacking in urgency or understanding. Many student and youth organizations, including the Indian Medical Association’s student chapter and the Kerala Students Union (KSU), have called for her resignation, claiming that symbolic sympathy is not enough and that responsibility must be set. Opponents of the LDF administration, like the BJP and the Congress, have also claimed extensive neglect and administrative sluggishness. Members of Congress have called Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s actions “criminal negligence” and have urged him to move fast. State BJP leaders staged several protests claiming that the government had not done enough to safeguard medical practitioners working under difficult and hazardous conditions. The state government has meantime pledged to implement changes and enhance hospital security. According to Veena George, some of the measures now being taken to improve security include assessing hospital security protocols and more police presence in weak areas. She also said she was personally very sorry for what had transpired and that her firm is working closely with the Home Department to guarantee there are no more such occurrences. The protests go on notwithstanding those assurances. The protestors contend this is acceptable since medical institutions’ prior hospital safety recommendations have been disregarded. Repeating its demand for thorough safety regulations for medical facilities including trained security personnel, monitoring, and rapid police response systems, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) restated its appeal. At hospitals all throughout Kerala, physicians and medical students conducted symbolic protests wearing black badges and remaining silent. Emphasizing how it endangers the health of those who devote their life to public service, the protestors stressed the fundamental human component of the problem. Students marched carrying images of Dr. Vandana Das and wanting justice in addition during candlelight memorial ceremonies for the young doctor. Kerala’s administration is under growing pressure to follow a clear and decisive course of action as the protests gather steam. Although the health minister has always refused to leave, public opinion and opposition hint that the political cost of inactivity may rise in the next days. The terrible passing of Dr. Vandana Das has brought to light the necessity for reforms in institutional accountability, public health care system, and front-line worker protection.
