Egypt's Doctors Syndicate has given its official support to a strike by doctors at Matariya Teaching Hospital after physicians at the hospital were assaulted by a group of policemen.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the syndicate announced that it had forwarded a complaint to Egypt's prosecutor-general about the alleged attack, which took place that morning.

A low-ranking policeman wearing civilian clothes went to the hospital on Thursday morning with a wound on his face, and asked the doctor examining him in the ER to include fake injuries in the medical report, which he refused, sources in the hospital said.

In retaliation, the policeman called a group of colleagues to the hospital who assaulted the doctor and some of his colleagues before taking them to the police station, where they were released.

Doctors at the hospital have said they will strike until legal action was taken against the policemen involved in the incident.