Cuttack: A 30-year-old ward attendant was arrested Monday for allegedly attempting to rape a 23-year-old woman patient in the Medicine department ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital.
The victim from Kamakhyanagar in Dhenkanal district was admitted after consuming poison.
Police said the accused, Manas Ranjan Pati of Jajpur district, was heavily drunk Sunday night when he removed the patient’s saline bottle under the pretext of changing it and tried to sexually assault her.
The woman, though critical, regained partial consciousness and informed her family the next morning.
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The family lodged a complaint at Mangalabag police station, following which Pati was arrested from hospital premises.
He reportedly confessed to the crime, citing alcohol as the reason. Pati was produced in court, denied bail and sent to judicial custody.
Hospital additional superintendent Jyotirmay Nayak said the accused will be terminated, and stricter monitoring, including deployment of female staff in ICUs at night, will be ensured.