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Covid-19: PM Modi reads riot act to those harassing medical professionals
PM Narendra Modi said he has ordered strict action against those who are not cooperating with doctors, nurses and other professionals in the forefront of the fight against coronavirus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday warned people against misbehaving with doctors and nurses amid reports that many healthcare professionals are facing harassment for caring for Covid-19 patients.
The warning came during a television address to his constituency of Varanasi about the coronavirus pandemic.
“I have told the Home Ministry and DGPs to take strict action against those who are not supporting or are not cooperating with doctors, nurses and other professionals who are serving us in this critical time,” he said.
He also appealed to citizens to intervene if they see a medical professional being ill-treated.
“I appeal to all the citizens, if you notice any incident where professionals, such as doctors and nurses, are ill-treated then you should take an initiative to make such people (those who are ill-treating healthcare professionals) understand that they are wrong,” Modi said.
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The Centre has taken serious note of the harassment and abuse of doctors and nurses. On Tuesday, Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to Delhi Police chief S N Shrivastava and directed him to ensure security of doctors in the wake of complaints of harassment for treating coronavirus patients.
Shah also spoke Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following their complaint about discrimination and unfair behaviour by landlords who have allegedly asked doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers involved in Covid-19 care to vacate their rented homes.
The RDA had also claimed that some have even been forcefully evicted by landlords and house-owners due to the fear that those healthcare professionals make them more susceptible to coronavirus infection.
Healthcare professionals are not the only ones facing harassment. Airline crews have also faced similar nuisance.
Ironically, on March 22, following an appeal by Modi, the entire country had applauded the efforts of medical professionals, pilots and airline crews and others in the frontline of the fight against coronavirus.
