COVID-19:‘Don’t attack health workers, they are out to ensure your safety’

Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Apr 19: Unruly mob attacking health workers in a village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district to prevent them from taking few people for quarantine is a glaring example of hooliganism and lack of awareness among the masses about the dangerous consequences that COVID-19 can have.
“Its unfortunate that people at a few places are attacking the health workers and are resisting the attempts to put people under mandatory quarantine. Common people should understand that anyone who tests positive forms a chain and the people whom he meets are the potential COVID-19 suspects. These persons are being traced to check whether they are alright or not and the people should understand it. Not allowing health workers to do their job is ridiculous,” an analyst told Precious Kashmir.
It may be recalled that on Saturday a mob pelted stones on medical team and police which had gone to bring some persons possibly infected with COVID-19 with them at Gund-Dechina village, an area worst-affected by the deadly virus, in Bandipora district. A health worker identified as Mohammad Saifudin Dar was injured in the stone-pelting.
The analyst said, “The Jammu and Kashmir administration needs to run a massive awareness campaign to tell the people that pandemic has struck Kashmir and if precautions are not taken it will lead to a disaster.”
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic there have been many incidents about doctors and paramedical staff being hounded by the people put under quarantine. There have also been complaints about the patients being left in lurch by the medicos. Allegations and counter allegations have been flying since Kashmir went into a lockdown mode nearly a month ago.
“All of us need to understand that patience is the key to handle this pandemic. None of us can afford to become hysterical at this point of time. There are reports that government is planning to rope in religious heads and others to make people aware about the threat this deadly virus is posing,” said an observer.
He said, “Getting involved in any sort of confrontation at this point of time is not advisable. This can lead to crisis getting aggravated. Recently Kupwara administration placed a pharmacist under suspension after he refused to serve food to the COVID-19 suspects and patients in a quarantine center.”
“Administration is trying it best to ensure that people don’t suffer. Every attempt is being made to prevent this deadly virus from spreading into the community. People should cooperate rather than becoming a source of trouble during these testing times,” said an official.
He said, “We are trying our best to ensure that people don’t face shortage of any commodity. We are requesting people to stay inside their homes as this is the only way through which they can be kept safe.”