Female doctor verbally abused and threatened by patient at govt medical college in Kerala; accused absconding

Kottayam (Kerala): A female postgraduate doctor was allegedly verbally abused and threatened a day ago at the government medical college hospital here by a patient, police said on Sunday. The incident brings to the fore memories of the brutal killing of a young woman doctor last month by a patient at a Taluk hospital in the Kollam district of the state.

Similar to the incident of the brutal stabbing of Dr Vandana Das in May by a patient brought there by police for a check-up, in the latest instance, the accused was brought there by police following a physical altercation with some persons at a roadside stall in Ettumanoor area of Kottayam district.

According to the woman doctor's complaint, when the man, identified as Biju P John, was brought to the hospital's emergency department in the intervening night of June 16-17, he allegedly verbally abused her and also tried to assault her, police said.

Subsequently, after being examined by the woman doctor, he was taken to the observation room and his hands and feet tied to the bed as he was getting violent, police said.

On Saturday morning when the doctor went to the observation room to check on the patients, he used obscene language against her and threatened to kill her, it said.

Thereafter, the doctor lodged a complaint at the police aid post in the medical college hospital and when John came to know of it, he escaped from there, police said.

Later, the doctor's complaint was handed over to the Gandhinagar police from the aid post and the doctor's statement was recorded.

The Gandhinagar police said they have intensified their investigation to nab the accused who is absconding.

Following the incident, junior doctors at the medical college hospital said the Kerala Health Minister's assurances, after Dr Das' killing, regarding the safety and security of healthcare professionals and workers have not been implemented. That is why such an incident has occurred, they alleged.

They said they were finding it difficult to perform their duties as they have to often work alone at night and the government has been unable to implement the decisions promised by it for their safety.