Doctors at the emergency ward of Chhapra Sadar hospital ceased work from Thursday night to Friday morning in protest against the alleged assault of a compounder by a patient’s attendants.

Civil surgeon Dr Vinay Yadav and deputy superintendent Dr Shambhu Nath Singh rushed to the hospital on Friday and pacified the doctors.

Dr Singh said police had brought one Abhishek Singh of Inai village to the hospital around late Friday night. A doctor and the compounder attended to the patient, but the attendants allegedly beat up the latter.

Sources said on seeing the incident, some health workers in the hospital overpowered the attendants and handed them over to police. The police later set them free, the sources added.

This infuriated the doctors and employees and they abstained from emergency service. Work was restored from Friday after 10am.

The civil surgeon met district magistrate (DM) Vinay Kumar and acquainted him with the situation. The DM has assured to take action against the offenders and instructed the superintendent of police (SP) Sujeet to nab those at fault and provide protection to doctors and employees.

He said that Lallan Prasad lodged an FIR with Bhagwan Bazar police station against Abhishek and three unknown persons. Dr Singh said that Medical Institution and Personal Protection Act is not being implemented effectively. The deputy superintendent said that the Chhapra unit of State Health Services Association would hold a meeting and demand arrest of the offenders. A demand to effectively implement Medical Institution and Personal Protection Act will also be made.