A stabbing attack on a doctor in the southern Indian city of Chennai has sparked fresh concerns about the safety of medical workers in the country.
Police say Balaji Jaganathan, an oncologist at a government hospital, was stabbed multiple times by a man who was apparently unhappy with his mother's treatment.
The doctor's condition is said to be stable and the attacker has been taken into police custody.
More than 75% of doctors in India have faced at least some form of violence and 68.33% of these attacks are committed by the patients who patronize them, according to a report by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
This case comes months after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor inside the hospital where she worked sparked nationwide protests and a conversation about the dangerous working conditions of doctors in India .
The attack took place on Wednesday, while Mr Jaganathan was treating the attacker's mother, who had recently been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.
Reports say the man was seen arguing with the doctor the day before. The next day, he entered Mr Jaganathan's consultation room, locked it and allegedly stabbed him seven times with a kitchen knife.
He was caught by hospital staff when he left and taken into police custody.
Meanwhile, Mr Jaganathan, who suffered injuries to his scalp, head, neck, back and ears, was rushed to the operating theatre.
“His condition is stable. He will be monitored in intensive care by a team of doctors,” hospital director Dr L Parthasarathy told reporters on Wednesday.
The incident sparked protests across the state of Tamil Nadu, where Chennai is located, with several doctors' unions threatening to launch an all-out service strike.
The IMA, the country's largest health workers' union, condemned the attack and demanded strong measures to end violence against doctors.
“Only a complete overhaul of the safety climate in hospitals could restore doctors’ confidence. The nation owes it to its doctors,” he said in a statement.
Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu also reacted to the incident and accused the government of failing to maintain law and order in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin visited the hospital on Wednesday and assured that strict action would be taken against the attacker.
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