THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Medical students and learning centers will be covered under the scope of the Hospital Protection Act brought as an ordinance. Discussions regarding this with the University of Health were completed the other day and the draft of the ordinance is in shape. The process will be completed today and tomorrow at the official level. Steps to bring it to the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, after the departmental minister and senior officials make the final assessment, is progressing rapidly. It will be approved by the Cabinet and sent to the Governor. The ordinance will come into effect once the governor signs it.
All students studying and engaged in the field of health, such as house surgeons, PG doctors, nursing students, paramedical students, including those in Ayurveda and Homeopathy, and such centers of study will be covered under the Act. 6,600 house surgeons, 5,000 PG doctors, 5,500 nursing students and a proportionate number of paramedical students are involved in patient care as part of their studies. Therefore, they cannot be exempted from the ambit of the law.
Although there were earlier discussions on the law, it was not intended to include students and learning centers. It was decided to make the law more comprehensive with the murder of Dr. Vandana Das, which shocked the human conscience. The matter was clarified the other day in consultation with the senior officials including the Secretary of the Health Department and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Health. Moreover, after the murder of Dr. Vandana Das, the High Court intervened in the matter and directed the government to provide security for medical students.