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Kerala Health Minister Veena George was injured during a protest at Kannur railway station on February 25, sustaining injuries to her neck and hand. She was injured in a scuffle between police and activists from the Kerala Students Union (KSU). The minister was later shifted to Kannur District Hospital, forcing her to cancel her scheduled journey.
The confrontation unfolded as Opposition protests escalated over alleged medical negligence cases in Kerala’s government hospitals. These alleged incidents have triggered widespread political mobilisation against the health minister.
What happened at Kannur railway station?
Minister Veena had arrived to board the Vande Bharat Express to Thiruvananthapuram after attending official engagements in Kannur.
As she entered the station premises, KSU activists, along with members of the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), staged a black-flag protest. Police attempted to disperse the demonstrators and clear the way for the minister. During the ensuing commotion, she was caught between protesters and police personnel and suffered injuries.
Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer said that while protest was part of democracy, physically manhandling a minister was unacceptable.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the episode “the rampage of a group of violent individuals” and described it as “political degeneration”.
What triggered the protests?
The protests stem from a string of alleged negligence cases that have placed Kerala’s public healthcare system under intense scrutiny.
The immediate trigger was the case of Usha Joseph who discovered that a 7-cm artery forceps had allegedly been left inside her abdomen for nearly five years following a surgery at a government medical college hospital in Alappuzha in 2021.
The instrument was detected only after she endured chronic abdominal pain for years. The revelation sparked statewide outrage, protests outside the Minister’s residence, and demands for accountability.
The Health Department ordered an inquiry, constituted an expert committee, and suspended medical staff, including the surgeon and a nursing officer, after preliminary findings pointed to a procedural lapse. Police registered a case, and further action is pending the committee’s final report.
The controversy revived memories of a similar case involving Harshina, who underwent a Caesarean surgery at Kozhikode Medical College in 2017. A pair of surgical forceps was allegedly left inside her body and discovered only in 2022 after it pierced her bladder.
After years of protest, she received Rs 2 lakh as compensation, which she termed inadequate, and has since pursued a higher compensation claim in court.
Other incidents have also deepened public concern.
In November 2022, a 17-year-old boy who underwent surgery for fractures had his left arm amputated below the elbow after developing an infection and complications allegedly due to improper treatment.
In another case, a nine-year-old girl in Palakkad underwent surgery for a hand fracture at a government hospital. Her condition deteriorated post-operation, ultimately leading to amputation. Two junior doctors were suspended in connection with alleged negligence.
In Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital, a guidewire was discovered lodged in a young woman’s chest months after thyroid surgery. In a separate case, surgical gauze was found inside a woman’s abdomen two months after a C-section, causing severe infection.
In May 2024, a four-year-old girl admitted for removal of an extra finger at Kozhikode Medical College underwent a tongue procedure instead. The minister later admitted it was an “error” after public outrage.
What is the government’s stand?
The health minister has maintained that the government follows a zero-tolerance approach towards negligence and that prompt action, including suspensions and inquiries, has been taken in each case.
She has also accused the Opposition of orchestrating protests ahead of elections and exaggerating incidents to create a narrative against Kerala’s public healthcare system.
Chief Minister Pinarayi reiterated that Kerala has one of the best public health systems in India and said isolated incidents should not be portrayed as systemic collapse. He warned that attempts to disrupt law and order would face strict action.
The CPI(M) has also alleged the media and the Opposition of manufacturing this narrative to help corporate-funded private hospitals.
Why does this matter politically?
Kerala’s public healthcare model has long been cited as one of the strongest in India. However, repeated allegations of surgical lapses, infrastructure shortages, and disciplinary delays have given the Opposition fresh ammunition.
Escalating district-wide protests, including black-flag demonstrations in Irikkur, Thalassery, Chalode and other parts of Kannur eventually culminated in the confrontation at the railway station.