Police have arrested a man in connection with an alleged one-punch attack in the foyer of Box Hill Hospital which left a Melbourne surgeon and father of two fighting for his life.

In the latest of a series of recent attacks on the state's health workers, cardiac and thoracic surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann suffered life-threatening injuries after allegedly being punched in the head on Tuesday night following a verbal altercation.

Mr Pritzwald-Stegmann is aged in his 40s and is the father of two young children.

It is believed he was on his way home at the end of his shift and became concerned about people smoking near the hospital doors when the assault occurred.