A nurse was assaulted by an intoxicated youth late Wednesday evening in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.

According to police sources, the victim was preparing to head home after her duty when a local man, allegedly drunk, entered the health centre and demanded medicine. When the victim refused to comply, an argument broke out. In a sudden fit of rage, the youth picked up stones and repeatedly struck the nurse, causing severe head injuries.

Local residents rushed to the scene on hearing her cries and managed to catch the assailant before handing him over to the police. The accused has been identified as Rajib Kahar, a resident of the same locality. The nurse was immediately taken to Suri Super Speciality Hospital, where doctors administered 22 stitches on her head.

The attack on the nurse in Birbhum is not an isolated incident. The safety of healthcare workers, particularly women, has become a repeated and serious concern in West Bengal, with several high-profile and disturbing cases reported in recent months.

At Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Government Medical College and Hospital in Howrah, a female junior doctor was allegedly assaulted and threatened with rape by a home guard and two others, who were relatives of a patient. The accused, identified as Sheikh Babulal (a traffic home guard), Sheikh Samrat, and Sheikh Hasibur were arrested following the complaint lodged by the victim.

– Ends