The KeSCPCR stressed that hospitals must uphold child rights and avoid behaviour that could distress children or their families.
Published Aug 05, 2025 | 8:27 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 05, 2025 | 8:27 AM
Asthma. (Representative image/ iStock)
In a bid to promote compassionate treatment for children, the Kerala health department is set to release new guidelines urging medical staff, particularly in casualty departments, to adopt a more empathetic approach toward young patients.
The decision follows a directive from the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR), which stressed that hospitals must uphold child rights and avoid behaviour that could distress children or their families.
The move comes after a disturbing incident at Tirurangadi Taluk Hospital, Malappuram, on 8 October 2024. A petition filed by health activists highlighted how two injured children, aged one and six, were allegedly denied prompt medical care.
The attending doctor reportedly reacted indifferently and threatened to stitch a wound without anaesthesia, alarming both the children and their parents. One family was even forced to seek costly treatment at a private hospital.
Although the district medical officer backed the doctor’s conduct, KeSCPCR member Cicily Joseph concluded that the doctor had failed to safeguard the children’s rights. Meanwhile, the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association expressed concern that such incidents could demoralise doctors working in stressful environments.
