Kerala: Duty doctor assaulted at taluk hospital, colleagues boycott OPD services

Thiruvananthapuram natives Rafeek (35) and Rasheed (40) were arrested on the basis of the complaint filed by the doctor Malu Murali.

"The accused are habitual offenders and are usually engaged in brawls with others. It seems like they got into a fight with somebody and reached the hospital to get their wounds treated. The doctor gave us the statement that they attacked her and created a ruckus in the hospital," police told P T I.

The hospital staff on Friday boycotted outpatient services protesting the attack on the health workers.

The culprits reached the hospital on Thursday night to treat their injuries.

However, they got into a brawl with the hospital staff and attacked them, hospital sources said.

"As a doctor I asked them how they got injured. They refused to answer. I asked them to wait as I was attending to another patient. They refused and asked me to treat them first. They twisted my arm hurting me and also attacked the guard who came to rescue me," Murali told the media.

Meanwhile, state minister V Sivankutty visited the hospital premises, met the protesting staff and assured them that the culprits will be brought to justice.

The hospital staff demanded a police aid post in the hospital and also a CCTV surveillance facility inside the premises to avoid such untoward incidents.

"The government is viewing the attack against the healthcare workers with utmost seriousness. We will take strict action against the culprits. This cannot be accepted," Sivankutty told the media.

He also said that the government will consider the demands of the hospital staff on increasing the security inside the premises.