Functioning of Government hospitals here was affected for two hours as the staff including doctors and nurses boycotted work on July 16.

They were protesting against the continued attack on hospital and hospital staff including doctors by the relatives of patients. More than 500 staff resorted to a dharna in front of the Government general hospital here demanding to put an end to the attack on doctors and hospital staff, implementation of hospital security act, declaring hospitals as protected areas and among other things.

In view of boycott of work by the hospital staff, out-patients as well as in-patients services were badly affected. It may be noted that two days ago, the relatives of a person who died in the hospital attacked the Karikklampakkam primary health centre and staff. This provoked the hospital staff to resort to agitation.