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‘Lives at stake’: Karnataka doctors protest attacks by Covid patients’ kin
Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors President Dr Dayanand Sagar said that the government should take the strictest possible action under law as medical personnel were already working under heavy odds.
Hundreds of doctors across Karnataka in both government and private hospitals wore black bands and held placards demanding that they be provided adequate security and protection while they perform their duties during the ongoing pandemic. There have been several incidents of violence and attacks by relatives of Covid patients - in some cases due to alleged delay in attending to them or handing over bodies only after undertaking necessary safety precautions.
Doctors, speaking to the media, pointed out how the torching of an ambulance and stone-pelting at BIMS in Belgavi by relatives of a dead Covid patient as well as the assault on nurses and doctors at KC General Hospital in Bangalore due to delay in handing over a Covid patient body as medical procedures were being carried out has created a sense of fear and insecurity.
Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors President Dr Dayanand Sagar said that the government should take the strictest possible action under law as medical personnel were already working under heavy odds.
“Violence and assault on doctors, nurses or paramedical staff, damaging property under any circumstances is not acceptable. We should be able to work without fear for our lives. All of us are working by putting our lives at stake and for this, the reward should not be being violently attacked by a mob,” said Dr Sagar.
KARD also outlined a charter of 11 demands, including arrest and legal action, against culprits involved in the Belgavi, Bidar and KC General hospital incidents, ensuring safety protocols and security are provided at all Covid care centres with police presence. Other demands in the charter include special allowances for Covid and night duty, providing good quality PPEs, N95 masks, shields, gloves and other equipment, no hierarchy among doctors and ensuring a common work design for everybody. They also said that funds should be released to ensure stipends which were hiked recently to be paid promptly.
The Medical Education minister Dr K Sudhakar has assured that strictest action would be taken against those who threaten frontline Covid warriors. In the Belagavi case, already three have been detained for questioning and an FIR has been registered against 12 others. A senior health department official, who did not want to be identified, said: “Of course we will ensure safety and security. In all the cases, FIRs have been registered and in some culprits have been arrested with investigations are on. But on enhanced allowances and other financial matters a decision would be taken after due consideration.”
For the second successive day, Karnataka recorded more than 5,000 Covid positive cases. On Friday, it recorded 5,007 new Covid-19 cases taking the cumulative tally to 85,870 which includes 31,347 discharges and 1,724 deaths. Bengaluru recorded 2,267 new cases on Friday and continues to account for nearly 60 per cent of all active cases in the state.
