Following the murder of young doctor Dr Vandana Das in the state last week, the Kerala government approved an ordinance aimed at protecting doctors, healthcare workers and medical students today, Wednesday, May 17.

The Hospital Protection Act which ensures the safety of all medical professionals against physical and verbal attacks has been a long-standing demand among the medical community in the state.

The weekly cabinet meeting of the Pinarayi Vijayan government held in Thiruvananthapuram cleared the law and brought the Ordinance which will be sent to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, reported IANS.

The discussion for this ordinance gained momentum following the gruesome murder of Dr Vandana Das, a 22-year-old house surgeon who was attacked while she was attending to a patient, an alleged drug addict.

Now, those who indulge in any physical attack on medical professionals while on duty, which includes students and security staff, depending on the gravity of the crime, will get a jail term from six months to even seven years.

In case of destruction of property in a medical institution, the accused will have to pay a fine extending up to six times the value of the property destroyed.

Veteran Congress leader VM Sudheeran welcomed the ordinance.

"For a while, things need to be observed on how they are and then a discussion can be held among the stakeholders to see if it needs to be fine-tuned further to make it a foolproof system," IANS quoted him saying