A teenage girl in intensive care at a hospital in India was reportedly raped by a member of staff, leading to clashes between police and protesters outraged by news of the incident.

The 17-year-old was receiving treatment at Jagrati Hospital in Kanpur, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, after falling unconscious at a party in the city, according to local media.

Speaking from her hospital bed, the girl told reporters that a male nursing assistant had made her change her clothes in front of him, then injected her with a sedative and sexually assaulted her.

Following the alleged attack, family members of the girl and angry members of the community took to the streets calling for “the hospital to be shut down and strict punishment for the accused,” according to Indian news magazine Outlook.

Clashes broke out between police and protesters, who claimed they had been charged at by officers armed with batons, and said women taking part in the protest had also been beaten.

Police clash with protesters after the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in Kanpur, India (Screenshot from Patrika Uttar Pradesh footage)

The region’s police deputy inspector general, Sonia Singh, said three policemen were injured in the commotion, saying demonstrators had started throwing stones at officers, reported the Times of India. Several vehicles were also damaged in the clash.

Ms Singh said the girl’s family members had been “up in arms” following the alleged rape and police had reacted because “we cannot tolerate lawlessness.”

Police clash with protesters after the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in Kanpur, India (Screenshot from Patrika Uttar Pradesh footage)

“However, stringent action against the accused will be taken,“ she said, reported Outlook.

The alleged assault follows news that Uber has hired a law firm to investigate how it obtained the medical records of a woman who was raped by an Uber driver in New Delhi in 2014.

The attacker was convicted in 2015. Former Uber Asia Chief Eric Alexander told Reuters the files containing the victim's medical records had been obtained through appropriate, legal methods following a meeting with Delhi police.

More than 90 rapes are reported in India every day, according to statistics from the country’s National Crime Records Bureau. Experts and campaigners say the number of assaults that actually take place is likely to be higher.