Health Workers Allegedly Attacked, Spat At By Mob In Kerala COVID-19 Hotspot
In another untoward incident, a team of health workers including a doctor, who who had gone to collect swab samples from the local people in Kerala's Poonthura, were allegedly threatened by some people in the area on Friday.
Doctors, nurses and other health care workers have been celebrated with choruses of applause and cheers from windows and rooftops for providing the front-line defense against the pandemic.
But in some places health care workers, stigmatized as vectors of contagion because of their work, have been assaulted, abused and ostracized.
Representational Image/PTI
In another untoward incident, a team of health workers including a doctor, who had gone to collect swab samples from the local people in Kerala's Poonthura, were allegedly threatened by some people in the area on Friday.
The team had gone in a car and were forced by the agitating local people to lower the car window and they allegedly spat on those inside the vehicle, PTI reported citing sources from the Indian Medical Association(IMA).
All the four health workers have been asked to go into quarantine, IMA sources told PTI.
Representational Image/BCCL
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Health minister K K Shailaja, have condemned the attack on the health workers.
Describing the incident as "most unfortunate", Shailaja said the health workers are ignoring the threat to their own lives and working to help the people.
The IMA has expressed its "strong protest" against this misbehaviour towards the health workers.
"At a time when health workers are risking their lives to help others to tide over the COVID-19 situation, it is unfortunate such an incident has occurred," the association said.
Agencies
Hundreds of men and women had come out of their homes at Poonthura this morning protesting that they were facing isolation from various quarters due to media reports on a rising number of positive cases from the area.
The protesters, many of whom refused to wear masks, alleged that there had been instances when doctors of certain hospitals had refused to treat them and they were asked to stay away.
It was at this time that the car carrying the health workers reached the area to collect the swab samples.
Poonthura has witnessed super spread of the virus as a fisherman is said to have infected many others in the fishing village.
Thiruvananthapuram recorded 129 cases, the highest number for the second consecutive day on Friday out of which 122 people have been infected through contact and a majority of them are from Poonthura.
Commandos and 500 police personnel have been deputed in Poonthura to strictly enforce the lockdown there.
