EDITORIAL: Poisonous weeds should be destroyed

The rape committed on a Covid positive 19-yearold girl by an Ambulance driver who was taking her to hospital is despicable and a barbarous act. The incident has shocked the entire Kerala society.
The police have arrested accused in the incident that took place in Aranmula the other day.

Besides police, the State Women’s Commission has also filed a case in the incident. There is no point in many agencies filing cases. The criminal case registered by the police is more than enough.
Once the POCSO case is filed, the accused is sure to get punished provided the case don’t get undermined. More teeth has been added to the law so that if it is a rape case, the culprit can even get capital punishment.
Judges have the liability to ensure that the culprit gets maximum punishment. There should be steps to file the charge sheet without unnecessary delay. This is the only good thing that the State can do now.

Though we now and then hear about women and children being abused at hospitals, Aranmula rape is a rare cape.
The ambulance had dropped another Covid patient in the same ambulance at a hospital and took the girl to a deserted place, where she was raped. The only respite is that he did not endanger her life.
Grabbing this opportunity, the Opposition has turned the incident into a political weapon against the government while the latter has gone into defensive mode.
When this allegations and counter-allegations are raised by political parties, they should realise one thing. Whichever government comes to power, such satanic human beings will be there in society.
Philosopher’s view that Covid has come as a punishment for man’s such heinous act, which he perpetrates, forgetting nature’s forces, appears to be true now.
In Aranmula case, the health department is facing harsh criticism. The much-raised question is why only two women patients were sent in an ambulance with no health worker to accompany them.
The reports coming out says that this not an unusual thing. There is no point in pointing out the shortage of health workers as the reason.
Anyway, this incident is a black mark against the LDF government which is touted to be a government which gives priority to women’s security.
The accused in this case is a pre-accused in several cases. How did such a person with a criminal background got a job as ‘108’ ambulance driver? This fact also should be probed.
The health department cannot pass the buck, saying that the running of the ambulance has been entrusted to a Hyderabad-based company.
The incident has also earned bad name to other well-behaved ambulance drivers.
In the light of the Aranmula incident, poisonous weeds should be identified and destroyed. For this, a comprehensive examination is needed.
Also there should be a person deputed by the health department to accompany the patients in ambulance.
Though the initial Covid activities of the government were flawless, later, lapses started creeping into it as the number of Covid patients started increasing. The ambulance rape is a warning.
The safety of patients is important whether they are men or women.
Of course, responsibility increases if the patient is a woman. Meanwhile, the health department has taken a decision that they will not take women to hospitals henceforth but in case of emergency a woman patient will have to be taken to hospital. What is important is providing security!