CHENNAI: Even the best medical efforts can go for a toss, if the community fails to co-operate and acts in panic instead - this is an important takeaway from the HIV AIDS epidemic.

While the State is attempting its A-game in improving healthcare, it is also time to step-up communication strategy and makes information transparent, say experts.

Stigma against healthcare workers

Hundreds protested against the burial of Dr Simon Hercules, who succumbed to COVID-19, on April 19.

“Such acts of panic and stigma could have been avoided, had the State pre-empted and informed locals about protocols followed during burial,” Dr Shyamala Nataraj, founder and ED of South India AIDS Action Programme (SIAAP) said.

She added, “If there is an epidemic, there will be deaths. In addition to good medical and clinical work, the State should also pre-empt such confusion around death.”

She compared it to that of HIV, and said, “They stigmatised and targetted fear at sex workers, transwomen and those who were promiscuous. In this case, anybody and anything could be a threat.”

Fear of death & economic havoc

While it can be battled with infrastructure and health workers on one side, a strengthened psycho-socio-economic plan is an urgent need at this point, opined Dr Aiswarya Rao, a paediatrician and a public health consultant.

Rao added that people expect more transparency when following a certain protocol in co-operation.

“For example, why was a sudden four-day lockdown announced? Is there a need to panic? People have such questions in their mind,” she said. Dr Rao suggested that education on context-specific information, transparency of infection projections, pre-emptying public confusion, and evidence and rationale behind regulations, were some of the things that could bring in public participation.