THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Government doctors have welcomed the introduction of a new medico-legal protocol for the examination of arrested individuals and remand prisoners by medical practitioners. However, they have also raised concerns about the delay in appointing additional medical officers in the casualty department.
Dr T N Suresh, the state president of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA), stated that the government has accepted most of the organisation’s demands to ensure the safety of doctors. He emphasised KGMOA’s strong support for handcuffing violent individuals in custody, asserting that this provision would not deter them from disclosing any custodial torture to the medical examiner.
“The doctors can request that the police officers maintain a safe distance to facilitate communication with the person in custody. However, this does not imply that the police can leave the individual alone with the doctor; they should remain nearby and ready to intervene if necessary,”Suresh said.
Doctors pointed out that the police had left Dr Vandana Das alone in a cabin with a violent individual and failed to offer assistance when the attack occurred.
The doctors also raised concerns about medico-legal cases involving more than two individuals, which disrupt the functioning of busy casualty and outpatient departments, leading to frustration among other patients. KGMOA has urged the government to consider appointing two medical doctors in the casualty department to handle medico-legal cases alongside routine patients, a proposal that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had previously agreed to consider.