*Tirupati:* A junior resident doctor at the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) was assaulted while on duty in the emergency ward, leading to widespread outrage and protests from the medical community. The assault, captured on CCTV, shows the patient violently attacking the medical student by pulling her hair and slamming her head against a table.The incident occurred on August 24, when the junior resident, interning in the Surgery Department, was attacked by a patient identified as Bangaru Raju. The patient, who had traveled from Bobbili in the Vizianagaram district to Tirumala for a pilgrimage, assaulted her without warning. According to the complaint letter filed by the student, Raju yanked her hair and struck her head against the steel rod of a cot. Despite her attempts to defend herself, she was overpowered until fellow medicos intervened. At the time of the attack, there was no security personnel present in the emergency ward.Bangaru Raju, who is reported to be an epilepsy patient, had initially been admitted to TTD’s Ashwini Hospital in Tirumala before being transferred to SVIMS for further treatment. The motive behind the assault remains unclear.In response to the attack, junior doctors and students from Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women held a sit-in protest outside the casualty ward, calling for increased security measures to protect medical staff. The assaulted student expressed her deep concern over workplace safety and highlighted the potential risks if the patient had been armed. She urged authorities to implement stricter security protocols, particularly in high-risk areas such as the Emergency Medicine Department.The incident has prompted a call for urgent action to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals working in high-pressure environments.