- Several incidences of abusive behavior across the country show that health workers are facing unexpected problems while battling the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.
- There were reports that quarantined people in Delhi misbehaved with the nurses.
- In Indore, a shocking video of an angry local mob attacking healthcare workers and civic officials was recorded on camera.
"Occupants were unruly since morning and made unreasonable demands for food items. They misbehaved and abused staff at the quarantine centre. They started spitting all over and on persons working/attending them including doctors. They also started roaming around the hostel building,” said Deepak Kumar, CPRO, Northern Railway.
On April 1, a few participants of Tablighi Jamaat, who have been put in quarantine facilities in Delhi, sang obscene songs and misbehaved with healthcare staff and spat at the doctors and nurses.
In Indore, a shocking video of an angry local mob attacking healthcare workers and civic officials was recorded on camera. Moreover, 100 other locals were abusing the health workers who came to take the samples. Seven people were arrested in this incident for injuring two female doctors in Taatpatti Bakhal area of Madhya Pradesh.
Separately, a doctor and other health workers in Hyderabad were also assaulted by the relatives of a 49-year old who succumbed to coronavirus.
Indian health authorities are fighting against the stigma and taboo that has been in India for a long time. If there’s anything that India has learnt in the last few years is that mob mentality spreads like wildfire. There’s no sealing the panic and unruly behaviour Whatsapp rumours can cause.
Facing the danger
Apart from the abuse, healthcare workers are facing serious dangers too. Most doctors lack PPE kits that can protect them from catching infection as they come in contact with the infected. They are also frustrated with the fact that many people take the transmission and contraction casually.
“There have been some isolated incidents that have been unfortunate and that have lowered the morale of the community, when they are not given the kind of cooperation they want. They could be comfortably sitting at home, being on social media, watching TV. But, they are risking their lives and one would expect everyone to come together and be responsible and would cooperate,” Anupam Sibal, group medical director and senior pediatrician with the Apollo Hospital Group
Moreover, the scale of this outbreak can also cause trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. These people have been separating themselves from their families to prevent infection, resulting in anxiety and depression. The long hours and stressful work isn’t helping either.
While India is yet to deal with any such cases, a hospital in Colorado in the US brought comfort dogs to soothe the team of doctors fighting coronavirus which allows them to calm down while meditating with the dog. In India however few measures are being taken to calm the nerves.
See also: Coronavirus cases in India