India COVID-19 combat zone heroes condemn harassment, face discrimination distrust and violence
Videos of health care workers being pelted with stones as they are chased away from a locality in India went viral on Thursday, taking the country by storm and garnering global attention.
The incident occurred in Indore, a city in India’s central Madhya Pradesh state, and the area was Tatpatti Bakhal, a hotspot of coronavirus cases in the city.
Video of heath worker under attack by violent mob
Of the five health workers, who were in the area to screen suspected COVID-19 patients, two women doctors suffered injuries.
While this particular attack drew attention, criticism, and action seven people arrested in a matter of hours, similar incidents in other states such as Bihar, Karnataka, and Telangana largely went under the radar.
“Health workers facing violent attacks during this pandemic is the height of madness. Incidences of violence dent our confidence, and put us in doubt whether people in this country are even worthy of our efforts,” Dr. Harjit Singh Bhatti, the president of the Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum, said in a conversation with News Agency.
“I know we doctors are under oath to serve without discrimination or expectations, but cooperation and support from society is the fundamental need of all professionals. We are working extended hours, sacrificing our food, sleep, personal life, and time with families.
“If people keep abusing, harassing, and thrashing us, we cannot perform our duties with confidence. The medical fraternity requests everyone to cooperate with health care workers and appeals to the government to provide us protection,” he said.
With several such violent attacks witnessed in India over the past week, multiple organizations representing health professionals have asked the Home Ministry to protect workers leading the country’s battle against the coronavirus.
On April 1, doctors at a hospital in the southern Telangana state were attacked by relatives of a COVID-19 patient after his death.
“The assault on doctors in Telangana treating COVID-19 patients is extremely disheartening. It is extremely disheartening to know that such events continue unabated even when this country is going through this massive pandemic. Such actions would destroy the morale of frontline workers deployed in such testing situations,” read a letter written by the Resident Doctors’ Association to the ministry.
