A doctor was assaulted by two drunk men at the government general hospital in Ernakulam in the small hours of Saturday when he protested their lewd comments and gestures towards a female colleague, as the medical fraternity across the country geared up to celebrate Doctors’ Day.

The attack on house surgeon Harrish Mohammed, who was rescued by other hospital staff, came two months after a young doctor was stabbed to death by an arrested drug addict in Kollam district. The assailants at Ernakulam on Saturday were identified as Robin Roshan and Josneil, who escaped from the spot but were arrested before dawn from Mattancherry. They were at the hospital to assist a patient.

Harrish told reporters that the two men had made vulgar comments against his female colleague. “When I confronted them, they attacked me. I could fend for myself for some time,” Harrish said.

Security camera visuals show the young house surgeon sending his female colleague indoors. Hospital superintendent Dr Shahirsha told reporters that the incident happened around 1.45 am when the two house surgeons were on duty.

“They first obstructed the way of the lady doctor and insulted her with obscene gestures. These anti-socials later followed the doctors to the cafeteria and made provocative comments.”

The police told reporters that both the accused were drunk and had gone to the hospital where the brother of one of them was admitted. They have been booked under Sections 3 and 4 of the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012, which deals with any act of violence against healthcare workers.

Health minister Veena George condemned the incident and said recent amendments to the Act would ensure punishment and penalty for anyone found guilty of attacks on healthcare workers. The attack comes two months after Dr Vandana Das, a 22-year-old house surgeon, was stabbed to death with surgical scissors by a drug addict who had been taken for post-arrest medical examination at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital in Kollam on May 10.

Doctors in the state had organised a daylong strike protesting repeated assaults on them. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had then assured them adequate legal and police protection. But within a few days, a drunken man involved in a road accident attacked a house surgeon at the Government Medical College in Kalamassery, Ernakulam.