Assailants entered Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital, the largest government hospital in West Bengal, and attacked a patient’s relative with with hockey sticks and wickets on Sunday morning, reigniting concerns about safety measures put in place at healthcare facilities, especially after the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College.

According to eyewitnesses, a group of 10-15 people arrived on motorbikes around 8 am and proceeded to the trauma care centre and assaulted Sourav Modak, son of a patient from Bankura who was scheduled to be discharged later in the day. The attackers later fled the scene, leaving Modak seriously injured.

This comes at a time when junior doctors protesting against the RG Kar incident have been on a hunger strike to press for various demands. The assault has cast doubts on the Government’s claims of having strengthened security measures in hospitals.

“This is a clear example of the failure of the hospital’s security system,” said a junior doctor. “If such an incident can happen in a major hospital like SSKM, it raises serious questions about the Government’s commitment to ensuring safety.”

The injured man is undergoing treatment at the trauma care centre and the police are investigating the incident to identify the attackers and their motives. The attack has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for stricter safety measures in hospitals.