By Adity Saha
Copyright medicaldialogues
Chittoor: In a shocking case of violence against medical professionals, three on-duty doctors were allegedly assaulted by an intoxicated mob in the emergency department of Chittoor Government District Headquarters Hospital around midnight on Friday.During the attack, a junior resident doctor suffered a nasal bone fracture after being punched from behind by one of the assailants. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras inside the department, and the footage has since gone viral on social media.Three separate videos of the incident are circulating online. The first shows the mob gathering outside the emergency department to confront the doctors, the second captures a man punching one of the doctors, and the third shows the mob running amok inside the hospital premises.Also read- Violence caught on camera: Mob storms Kadiri Govt Hospital, assaults doctorsAccording to The Hindu report, the incident occurred on Friday when a man with a hand injury arrived at the hospital’s emergency department, accompanied by several others. The group alleged that doctors were delaying his treatment. In the heat of the moment, one youth picked a fight with the three doctors and allegedly abused and intimidated them.Amid the chaos, the injured man himself attacked a junior doctor, causing serious injuries. When two other doctors rushed to help their colleague, the mob reportedly returned and physically assaulted all three.When the police were alerted, they rushed to the hospital and brought the situation under control. However, by then the accused had already fled the scene. Following the attack, the injured doctor filed a complaint against the assailants. Based on the evidence, the police registered a case and arrested one individual, while a search is ongoing for the other accused. The attack has sparked anger among the medical community, which is demanding strict action against those responsible. Doctors have stressed that such repeated assaults create fear among healthcare workers and affect patient care.“Enough is enough — healthcare workers are not punching bags,” said a doctor who re-shared the videos with the hashtag #StopViolenceAgainstDoctors. In his post, he added, “Another assault on doctors. How many more before it stops?”Strongly condemning the attack on the three doctors, Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav, in a post on X, stated, “I strongly condemn the attack on doctors and medical staff on night duty at Chittoor Government Hospital. If there are mistakes or shortcomings, complaints should be lodged with higher authorities, but physical assaults that undermine the morale of medical staff are unacceptable. Legal action will be taken against those involved.”Also read- Caught on Camera: ASHA Worker allegedly slaps Medical Officer at Sikar PHC
