Ranchi administration picks corona patients amid ‘violent’ resistance from section of Hindpiri residents

Stone was pelted on the ambulance that was there to pick the patients and police barricades were also vandalised.

The Ranchi administration had a tough time taking three positive corona patients to the hospital for treatment on Monday night as a section of locals in Hindpiri, which has emerged at the biggest hotspot in the state with 11 confirmed cases, attacked the health department team that had reached the area on Monday night.

A long queue of people seen to purchase mask and sanitizer during the first day of national lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, at district collectorate, in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, on March 25, 2020. (Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times)

As Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) confirmed three more cases on Monday evening, police and health workers teams reached Hindpiri to pick the patients around 10.30 pm, according to locals.

The locals were protesting in the team presence, arguing why was the team taking the patients during the night. The team could finally take the three infected people to hospital around 4.30 am on Tuesday. Stone was pelted on the ambulance that was there to pick the patients and police barricades were also vandalised.

With addition of three new cases, Hindpiri has alone recorded state’s maximum of 11 confirmed Covid-19, followed by nine cases in Bokaro, two in Hazaribag and one each in Koderma and Giridih. Till now, two, including one from Hindpiri, have died due to the pandemic.

Subdivisional officer (SDO), Ranchi, Lokesh Mishra said four ambulances had been sent to the area. Stones were pelted on one ambulance and vandalised a part of it, he said.

“After discussions, we later picked the patients around 4.30 on Tuesday from the locality and admitted them to the hospital,” said Mishra, adding, contact tracing is being done to find out people who might have come in contact with these patients. The SDO said they were also identifying the people who resorted to violence and action would be taken against them.

“A section of the residents turned aggressive when administration’s team suddenly came at night around 11 to pick the patients without informing anyone. Some residents were not in favour of it. They wanted the patients to be taken in the morning. The administration should inform at least some community leaders who could help them in the task,” said Ibrar Ahmad, president Anjuman Islamia, Hindpiri.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the Hemant Soren government was adopting discriminatory approach even in lockdown violation.

State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the teams of Ranchi police and health workers, who are putting their lives at risk at midnight, went to Hindpiri to pick corona patients. “But police, as well as the health workers, were misbehaved and people demonstrated violating the curfew,” said Shahdeo.