Patiala, April 14 -- Two incidents of violence at government health centres over the past 24 hours have once again highlighted the threat to the safety of healthcare professionals in the state. The

Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) claimed that 50 incidents of violence at healthcare institutes had taken place from April 2024 to March 2025.

Currently, hundreds of primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) are operating sans security guard due to which doctors, especially female ones, are often left vulnerable in rural areas. In the absence of security guards, male ward attendants have to be deployed for night duties. A few guards are deployed at divisional and district hospitals.

In September last ...