KOLLAM: The police have registered a case against four doctors of Punalur Taluk Hospital in connection with the death of a seven-year-old girl owing to rabies despite taking the rabies vaccine. The case has been registered against medical officers Devi Lakshmi, Amjitha, Jayasurya and superintendent K R Sunilkumar. The action is as per the court’s directions.
The case relates to Nia Faisal, a resident of Kunnikod, who died a year ago after being bitten by a stray dog. Police alleged that the three doctors on duty failed to follow proper procedures while administering the immunoglobulin injection to the child.
The superintendent has been booked for allegedly not providing accurate medical information in response to a request made under the Right to Information Act and for destroying evidence. He has been charged with culpable homicide and destruction of evidence. A case has been filed against the medical officers for allegedly treating the child carelessly and negligently.
The Punalur First Class Judicial Magistrate Court directed the police to register an FIR after considering the complaint filed by the child’s mother, Habira.
The child was bitten by a dog on April 8, 2025. The child was first taken to the Family Health Centre in Vilakkudi for preventive treatment and was vaccinated. As per the doctor’s instructions, she was taken to Punalur Taluk Hospital for the last dose and was supposed to get vaccinated on May 6. A few days before that, the child had a fever. Subsequently, she was admitted to Punalur Taluk Hospital and Thiruvananthapuram SAT hospital where rabies was confirmed. The child died on May 5 while undergoing treatment at SAT.