‘Medical Horror’ Sparks Street Rage in Kerala, Health Minister Injured At Kannur Railway Station during anti-govt Protest

Kannur: Kerala Health Minister Veena George sustained injuries to her neck and hand during a KSU (Kerala Students' Union) black flag protest at the Kannur Railway Station. The incident occurred near the railway station's ticket counter when the minister arrived to board the Vande Bharat train.

Amid the protest, the minister was injured and later shifted to the Kannur District Hospital for treatment and her travel plans were cancelled. 

There have been protests against the minister at several locations in Kannur in the last few days. According to reports, the police would be examining the circumstances that led to the scuffle at the railway station.

It has also been reported that a district-wide protest was organised by the KSU with demonstrations in Irikkur, Thalassery, Kodvalli, Chalode and Ayippuzha. Activists reportedly waved black flags against the Minister.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached the hospital to meet Veena George. Condemning the incident, he said that the incident was “a reflection of the Congress party’s deplorable political culture”.

What Led To The Protests?

An incident of medical negligence has led to state-wide outrage in Kerala, just before it heads for its assembly elections. The case involved a patient who complained of chronic abdominal pain for five long years, only to find out later that a surgical instrument, specifically a 7-cm artery forceps, was left inside her body during an operation at a government hospital.

This has ignited a political storm in Kerala, with the Opposition using the case to their advantage to point at systemic failure in a state which has traditionally been hailed as a role model when it comes to health cate. The ruling Pinarayi Vijayan has maintianed that it is an “isolated case”.

The state health department had ordered inquiries and suspended some of its staff. However, the issue soon spiraled into a political controversy, and protests were staged outside the health minister’s place.

Earlier, another case came to light in which a patient from Kozhikode had forceps left behind during a surgery. The negligence came to light when the instrument was piercing her bladder.

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