A woman doctor and other healthcare workers were allegedly assaulted while on duty at the Bhoodan Pochampally Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Telangana on Thursday.
The man is seen slapping the doctor twice before turning towards another staff member and assaulting him as well.
Police have registered a case based on a complaint filed by the PHC staff and launched an investigation. The accused, Dudyala Venkata Thirupathi, allegedly attacked Dr Swetha inside her chamber. The incident was captured on CCTV. The footage shows the accused entering the doctor’s room and assaulting Dr Swetha while she was seated at her desk. The man is seen slapping the doctor twice before turning towards another staff member and assaulting him as well. The footage further shows the accused picking up a stethoscope kept on the table and walking out of the room. As he exits, he appears to strike another staff member standing near the doorway. The accused also allegedly damaged a computer at the health centre before walking to a nearby police station. PHC staff who also reached the police station to lodge a complaint alleged that Thirupathi attacked three PHC employees, including two women. Patients who tried to intervene were also allegedly assaulted. Healthcare workers briefly staged a protest wearing black badges, demanding action against the accused and improved security at the PHC.
Thirupathi also assaulted other PHC staff after receiving treatment for a leg injury, officials said. The accused has been taken into custody, police said. Officials said the accused is suspected to be mentally unsound, and a medical assessment is being conducted.
