Doctor attacked by father of amoebic fever victim in Kerala's Thamarassery

Doctors in Kozhikode district go on lightning strike in protest against lack of protection to them

Thiruvananthapuram: A doctor at a government hospital at Kozhikode in Kerala was attacked by the father of a nine-year-old girl who reportedly died due to amoebic meningoencephalitis, on Wednesday.

Vipin, doctor at the Thamarassery government taluk hospital on the suburbs of Kozhikode was hacked on Wednesday. The accused, Sanoop, father of Anaya of Thamarassery, was arrested by the police in this connection.

According to doctors treating Vipin, he suffered deep injury and a small fracture in the head. But there was no injury to the brain. He is under observation at a private hospital in Kozhikode.

Doctors in the district have gone on a lightning strike by keeping off from all services, except emergency services, in protest against the alleged failure of the government in ensuring protection for doctors at hospitals.

Eyewitnesses said that Sanoop along with his two sons, aged 12 and seven, reached the hospital in the afternoon and attacked doctor Vipin. He barged into the room and hacked the doctor with a machete by screaming that he was responsible for his daughter's death. He was learnt to be targeting the hospital superintendent. Vipin was not associated with Anaya's treatment.

Anaya died on August 14 after she collapsed at the Thamarassery hospital and was being shifted to the Kozhikode medical college hospital. Later, the doctors said she was infected with amoebic meningoencephalitis. Her two brothers were also subsequently tested positive for the infection. But they later recovered.

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

Sanoop had even shared with DH as well as some other media the family's  concerns over the prolonging mystery over Anaya's death. He was upset that even as he repeatedly went to the hospital, the doctors were refusing to give clear information.

Even as Anaya was reportedly infected with Nagleria Fowleri variant of amoeba that is considered as highly acute, the water samples collected from a pond near her house as well as the pipe water of her house could only detect the presence of less acute Acanthamoeba variant.

The attack on a doctor on duty has triggered strong protest from the doctor fraternity. 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 Kottarakkara government taluk hospital in Kollam district. Following the incident the State government had announced that security at hospitals would be enhanced.