As the spike in COVID cases has burdened the already stressed health infrastructure, doctors have come in the line of fire amid complaints of medical negligence from patients and attendants.
While the doctors are demanding security after an increase in confrontations and attacks from attendants, many are questioning the role of doctors in the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Videos of both doctors being attacked in hospitals and those of attendants highlighting the poor infrastructure and medical negligence have, of late, been doing the rounds on the social media.
“Confrontations with the attendants are common, but of late, there were two serious attacks that caused grave injuries to the doctors. One woman doctor was also attacked. We have been working day and night for the past many months… and then we get manhandled. It will be difficult for us to work without proper security as the doctors are being held responsible for every problem by the attendants,” said a senior doctor.
However, problems faced by the people are grave also. Tweets of one resident Haroon Kar that went viral on Saturday night, pointed to the conditions of the hospitals. “…My mother who was COVID negative died this Tuesday at the SMHS (hospital). Doctors do not touch patients at all, oxygen wasn’t working properly and triage didn’t have the bed to handle. She didn’t die of anything, she died of carelessness, she died of not having doctors and paramedics around and she died because of the SMHS hospital,” he tweeted.
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) president Dr. Suhail Naik said they were working with “limited resources” and needed the support of the people.
“We have to fight COVID and also defend ourselves from unruly people. Doctors are trying their best at this hour of the pandemic to deliver services with limited resources and infrastructure. The public should also understand that some administrative issues are not in our hands and they should support us in fighting the pandemic rather than creating hurdles,” he said.
