Brain-eating amoeba death: Victim's father attacks doctor in Kerala's Kozhikode

Thiruvananthapuram: A doctor at a government hospital in Kerala's Kozhikode was attacked by the father of a nine-year-old girl who reportedly died due to amoebic meningoencephalitis — a rare brain infection caused by the single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri, also known as the "brain-eating amoeba".

Dr Vipin of the Thamarasery government taluk hospital, in the suburbs of Kozhikode, was attacked on Wednesday. Sanoop, the father of Anaya of Thamraserry, was held by the police in this connection.

According to doctors treating Dr Vipin, he suffered a deep injury and a small fracture on his head. However, there was also an injury to the brain. He is under observation at a private hospital in Kozhikode.

Doctors in the district have gone on a lightning strike, staying away from all services except emergency ones, in protest against the government's alleged failure to ensure their protection at hospitals. 

Eyewitnesses reported that Sanoop and his two sons, aged 12 and 7, arrived at the hospital in the afternoon. He then barged into the room where the doctor was and attacked him with a machete, screaming that he was responsible for Anaya's death.

He was learnt to be targeting the hospital superintendent. Dr Vipin was not associated with Anaya's treatment.

Anaya died on August 14 after collapsing at the Thamaraserry hospital and was being shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

Doctors later said she was infected with amoebic meningoencephalitis. Her two brothers also subsequently tested positive for the infection, but they recovered.

Sanoop and his family were upset over the alleged delay on the doctors' part in giving any medical report stating that the cause of death was amoebic meningoencephalitis. The family even suspected serious lapses on the part of the Thamaraserry taluk hospital in giving timely care to Anaya.

Sanoop even shared with DH and some other media organisations the family's concerns regarding the prolonged mystery over Anaya's death. He said he was upset that even though he repeatedly went to the hospital, the doctors refused to give clear information. 

Meanwhile, only the presence of the less acute Acanthamoeba variant was detected in water samples collected from a pond near Sanoop's house, as well as the pipe water at the residence.

On May 10, 2023, young doctor Vandana Das was killed in an attack by a person held by the police in an intoxicated condition at Kottarakara government taluk hospital in Kollam district.

Following the incident, the state government announced that security at hospitals would be enhanced.