KOCHI: A young doctor was brutally assaulted by two men at the general hospital here early on Saturday which happened to be National Doctors Day.
The male doctor was allegedly attacked by the accused for questioning them when they tried to misbehave with his female colleague, who was also on duty.
Police have arrested the duo--Josneil and Roson Robin-- both from Mattancherry and said they came to the hospital to visit a relative.
"They both were in an inebriated state," police told the media. The arrest was recorded under the sections of the Hospital Protection Act and they were remanded by a local court.
Condemning the incident, state health minister Veena George urged the society to stand with the doctors and the health workers.
"There should be a fearless atmosphere for the doctors to perform their selfless duties towards the patients who approach them. We have initiated many steps including strengthening the legislation to safeguard the doctors," George told the media.
The doctor, who was assaulted, later told TV channels that the duo appeared to be disoriented and misbehaved. He said the accused threatened him for questioning their misbehaviour and assaulted him.
Ironically, earlier in the day, in his National Doctor's Day greetings, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had described the doctors as 'pillars' of the public health sector.
The committed efforts of doctors in maintaining the wellness of our society make them pillars of our public health sector, he tweeted, urging everybody to ensure support for their "exemplary service".
On May 23, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had signed an ordinance that provides for stringent punishment, including imprisonment of up to seven years and a maximum fine of Rs five lakh for those found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to those working in the health services sector in the State.
The ordinance was approved in a Cabinet meeting in the wake of the killing of Dr Vandana Das by a patient -- G Sandeep, a school teacher by profession -- at a taluk hospital in Kollam district.
Sandeep, who was brought there by the police for medical treatment during the wee hours of April 10, went on a sudden attacking spree using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room where his leg injury was being dressed.
He had initially attacked the police officers and a private person who had accompanied him to the hospital and then turned on the young doctor who could not escape to safety.
Vandana Das was stabbed several times and later succumbed to her injuries in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was rushed following the attack.
Recently, several other incidents of doctors being assaulted by violent bystanders or patients were reported from the state which prompted the government to issue an ordinance.