At a time when doctors across the country are anguished over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor in Kolkata and the violent attack at RG Kar hospital and are holding nationwide protests, a case of assault on a medic has been reported from Telangana.

In the Shadnagar area of Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, a group of nurses staged a protest by boycotting their duties alleging assault on one of their colleagues on Friday.

The incident unfolded when Neelam Bhargavi, a woman who visited the hospital seeking a vaccine after being bitten by a dog, allegedly attacked a staff nurse named Asha.

Bhargavi got upset when the hospital staff did not attend to her promptly. In a fit of anger, she verbally abused and physically assaulted nurse Asha, who was on duty at the time.

In response to the attack, the medical staff gathered in front of the hospital, demanding immediate action against the accused woman.

They expressed their anger and concern, insisting on strict measures to ensure the safety and dignity of healthcare workers. The protest caused significant disruption to hospital services as the nurses refused to return to work until their demands were addressed.

The protest in Shadpur came on a day when the Centre directed all healthcare institutions to file a case within six hours in case of violence against healthcare professionals. In a memo to all healthcare institutions, the Ministry of Health said the sole responsibility to file the FIR lies with the head of the institution.

The directive comes amid widespread protests by doctors across the country demanding the implementation of legislation to protect healthcare professionals against violence in the aftermath of the murder of the 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.