Health workers attacked in many places; Is it not inhuman in this hour of crisis?

April 3:  The Health Ministry on 2 April informed that around 50 members of medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, across the country have tested positive for Coronavirus. Inspite of that, medical professionals and paramedics all round the country are dedicated to offer treatment to patients infected with coronavirus.

The residents of a locality in Indore pelted stones at healthcare workers who went there to screen people in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Two female doctors reportedly sustained injuries in the incident. Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Pravin Jadia said: “Our team is working to protect people from the coronavirus infection. But people threw stones at them. It was an unfortunate incident.”

#CoronaUpdate Locals pelt Stones on health department officials in Taat patti Indore, engaged in screening of #COVID19Pandemic @ndtv @digvijaya_28 @BeingSalmanKhan @ChouhanShivraj @OfficeOfKNath #CoronaVirusUpdates #COVID19 #lockdown pic.twitter.com/SbJA5Iiwjk

— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) April 1, 2020

The Madhya Pradesh police arrested seven people on Thursday for allegedly attacking health workers in Indore’s Tatt Patti Bakhal area on Wednesday, as several such incidents of attacks on health workers were reported from different parts of the country.

In an incident in Bihar, police and medical personnel were attacked by locals in Munger town when they visited a locality to collect samples from people suspected to have contracted coronavirus. Stones were thrown at the quick response team (QRT), comprising policemen and an ambulance carrying medical personnel, when they visited the Hazratganj locality late on Wednesday.

In Bangalore, a group of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers were allegedly assaulted at Sadiq layout near Hegdenagar on Wednesday by some youth. In Maharashtra, a man was assaulted by a group in Solapur district for allegedly informing a village official about those who attended the Tablighi gathering in Delhi. At Dharavi in Mumbai also, youths pelted stone at health workers. In West Bengal, there were clashes between police and locals at a few locations when the latter prevented health workers from collecting Covid-19 data. Hyderabad also reported incidents of spitting at the doctors by Nizamuddin Markaz returned persons.

At a time when hose treating COVID-19 patients are “no less than soldiers protecting the country”, violence against them is nothing short of crime against humanity. Those in white coats are the incarnation of God, said PM Modi. Let us be sane and stop from such illegal and immoral activities. Probably, those involved in such crime need harsh treatment from the government, if such incidents goes on unabated.