Two men are being held by the police after that they attacked surgeon Alex Manchè in St Luke’s hospital early yesterday afternoon, PBS reported.

The incident took place while the surgeon was carrying out daily visits to patients.

A group of people were in one of the landings of the hospital stairs and one of them was smoking. Prof. Manchè pointed out that smoking was not allowed in hospital. At that moment, the people concerned verbally abused the professor, who went on with his duties.

When Prof. Manchè left the ward he had visited and passed from near the same group of people, he was attacked by two of them, who gave him blows with the fist on his face.

The police interrogated the two persons, who are to be arraigned in court in the coming days.