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Officials said that Dr Shahnawaz, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was slapped by one of the family members of a patient who died in the emergency of the SMHS hospital of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar. A video of the assault has gone viral on social media. The incident prompted protests by resident doctors, interns and other staff of the GMC, Srinagar and its associated hospitals demanding action against the assaulter. The college has also filed an FIR in the concerned police station. "The issue has been already taken up with authorities and proper action will be taken," said Nasir Aslam Wani, advisor to chief minister Omar Abdullah. The doctor said that the patient, around 40 years of age, came to the hospital at around 12:15 am. "I was at medical reception and I checked his vitals, which were 'non-recordable'. I sent him to triage within minutes for further investigation and management. But during resuscitation, the patient was dead within 10-15 minutes. Then an attendant came and slapped me," he said. However the attendant Abid Hassan Bhat, a resident of Srinagar, told a news portal that the doctor didn't treat his brother-in-law, the patient, fairly. "I told him two-three times to take a look at the patient. However, the doctor just wrote the medicine on the prescription and sent me to fetch them. My brother in law was pleading with the doctor for five minutes to administer him oxygen as he was feeling suffocated. But the doctor didn't care. Within minutes when I returned, the patient was dead, " he said. The incident comes days after a similar attack on another doctor at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. Meanwhile, Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) expressed anguish and condemned the assault on a resident doctor at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, by an attendant in full public view. In a statement, the National Media Coordinator of the Association, Mir Zubair, said that such repeated acts of violence against healthcare professionals are not only deeply troubling but also reflect a dangerous and growing trend that undermines the morale, safety, and dignity of the medical fraternity. "Doctors are frontline defenders of public health. They often work under immense pressure, during long shifts, and in emotionally charged environments, especially in tertiary-care hospitals like SMHS and GMC. Any form of violence against them is unjustifiable and poses a grave threat to the integrity and functionality of our healthcare system," he said. "This is a brazen attack on the very sanctity of healthcare. Srinagar Police must act swiftly and decisively to uphold the law and bring the perpetrator to justice. Such acts are utterly reprehensible and deserve unequivocal condemnation from every corner of society, no caveats, no justifications," he emphasized. The Association urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Health Minister Sakina Itoo to take immediate cognizance of these alarming developments.