Rohit Shishodia

Two sweepers assaulted Rajesh Kumar, a nursing officer deputed at the Covid ward in Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital, on May 17, 2021. Kumar has claimed the he had urged the sweepers to clean the ward but they refused to do it.

Kumar added that the sweepers hit him on the chest and abdomen. They both caught his shirt collar and hit him, he lamented, while showing injuries on his chest in a video. He added that they went away after beating him up.

“After that a mob of 40 sweepers came to my counter. They were carrying sticks,” he added.

His colleague, Rajendra Sharma, who is also a nurse at the hospital, said these 40 sweepers also assaulted him.  

It is learned that hospital authorities have provided accommodation for sweepers. When the brawl took place, the two sweepers phoned other sweepers at the accommodation to beat the officer.

It may be noted that unhygienic conditions prevail in Covid wards in hospitals. Sweepers are hesitant to clean these wards due to fear of getting the infection.