Covid-19: Unruly acts in hospital set-up
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 08, 2021 -

TWO recent incidents, first, relating to relatives of a Covid-19 patient, who had succumbed to the virus at JNIMS hospital on June 5, going on the rampage and destroying hospital properties and, the second, where a doctor on duty in a Covid Care Centre set up at the Thoubal district hospital premises allegedly making a patient's attendant wear PPE for fixing oxygen supply to another patient respectively demonstrate growing frustration among the public due to the second wave of the pandemic claiming lives at an alarming rate and the exhaustive schedule of the healthcare professionals leading to dereliction of duty.

While growing number of citizens contracting the infectious disease is unavoidable as the contagion has been spreading to all corners ofthe state, it is the rate of fatality that has been demoralising not only the seriously ill patients but also the medical personnel.

No doubt, doctors and nurses have been giving their all to ensure speedy recovery of the patients.

However, the JNIMS incident contradicts frequent assertions by both government authorities and top doctors that belated admission to healthcare centres has been one of the factors for the increasing number of deaths of Covid-19 patients in the state.

For instance, the woman patient, whose death offset violent reaction from her close relatives, was admitted to JNIMS hospital on May 23 after testing Covid-19 positive and had been under treatment there.

As she passed away after over 12 days of treatment it will be hard to digest if the hospital authorities cite delay in admission and treatment as the cause of her death.

Her relatives attacking the hospital, destroying life-saving medical kits and causing immense disturbance to other patients in the hospital must be on the premise that the young woman didn't get proper attention of the medical staffers on duty.

Though resorting to any sort of violence in a hospital set-up is not pardonable, the hospital authorities definitely owe an explicit explanation why the woman can't be saved as her admission seems in line with the early diagnosis and treatment advisory of the government.

Similarly, conduct of the doctor at the Thoubal hospital Covid Care Centre should also be investigated as the allegation levelled against the medical professional is of serious nature and deepens public suspicion that there are more than a handful of healthcare service providers who are avoiding the patients due to fear of contracting the contagion.

Thus, it is imperative that the higher-ups initiate investigation into both the incidents that occurred at JNIMS and Thoubal Covid Care Centre as any sort of leniency against the guilty parties will not only complicate the pandemic situation but also create trust deficit between the depressed public and the exhausted healthcare workers.

With Covid deaths inching towards the 1000-mark and the rate of infection nothing to cherish about, it is desired that the government keeps its focus on plugging the loopholes along with strictest enforcement of safety protocols, punish both violators ofthe virus containment rules and individuals who disregard hospital decorum, as well as ensure that all the patients avail proper treatment once brought to the hospital.