No action has been taken even after 48 hours when a section of COVID-19 patients misbehaved with a woman doctor.
For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.
The Tripura Health and Family Welfare Department Director said on July 26 that they would lodge an FIR over the incident of misbehaviour with the West Tripura District Health Surveillance Officer on July 24. Stating that the officer, a young doctor, worked hard to take care of COVID-19 and other patients, the Director told IANS, "The health directorate officials after scrutinising the video of the incident would file an FIR."
Demanding 'exemplary punishment', the All Tripura Government Doctors' Association (ATGDA) general secretary said they had raised the issues with higher authorities, including Additional Chief Secretary (in-charge of Health and Family Welfare Department). "If they failed to take any action, we would take appropriate legal steps," the general secretary told IANS. Terming this kind of uncivilised behaviour unexpected and unacceptable, he said a precedent had to be set to warn others.
Dr Chakraborty said she was abused and spat at by some patients being treated at a COVID care centre, here, when she had gone there on July 24 to admit five women who had given birth to babies a day before. "The women had undergone caesarian operations at Tripura Medical College on July 23. When they tested COVID-19 positive, we decided to shift them to the COVID care centre. We had gone there with a health department team and the police personnel. When we tried to admit them, a group of men and women obstructed the process, claiming there were no vacant beds," she said.
When requested by other doctors and nurses to return to their beds, some of them started using filthy languages, spat at me and threatened to touch me and infect me with coronavirus, Dr Chakraborty said. "This is most unfortunate and dehumanising. We are treating them. All patients need the same care. We feel humiliated," said another doctor, a colleague of Dr Chakraborty.
