Berhampur, Nov. 21: Health services at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital here was affected after staff nurses had staged a demonstration protesting against attack on their colleagues by the attendants of a patient.

Staff nurse Sujata Mohapatra was allegedly attacked by about 10 attendants of a patient, Bijaya Kumar Behera, 62, at the male medicine ward of the medicine department last night. It triggered the protest. Attendants of Behera, who died today morning, had alleged negligence on part of the nurse.

“We gheraoed the superintendent’s office in the morning hours and demanded adequate security. The superintendent assured us to take a decision within one week,” said secretary of the Odisha Nursing Employees’ Association, Berhampur branch, Sibani Das.

“We will be forced to resume our agitation if he fails to evolve any action,” she said, adding that the hospital authorities should provide sufficient staff nurses to attend the patients.

“When there is a provision of one nurse for every three beds, we are now managing here at the ratio of 40:1,” said Das.

Superintendent Ashok Kumar Behera said he would convene a meeting of all the heads of the departments.

Head of the medicine department Lalit Kumar Meher said: “We are working under great pressure with limited infrastructure. When the staff strength has decreased considerably, the number of patients has increased two times in the recent past.”