ONGOLE: Not just coronavirus patients and patients with symptoms of virus, the medical staff working at designated Covid-19 hospitals and isolation wards, are also facing social stigma.
Some doctors and paramedical staff, who are living in rented houses, are caught in a piquant situation as the owners are allegedly asking them to vacate.
Dr Srinivas (name changed), a medical officer at Ongole Government General Hospital (RIMS), was asked to vacate the house with immediate effect as he is working in RIMS where Covid-19 positive patients are being treated.
“We have children and elderly people in our house. If you continue to attend to duty at RIMS treating coronavirus patients, there is every possibility of its transmission and we don’t want to take a risk. Hence, you need to vacate the house immediately. You may reoccupy the house once normalcy is restored,” the house owner of Dr Srinivas told him.
After persuading his friend, Dr Srinivas is now staying at his friend’s place. “I requested my owner to let me continue to stay in the house. But he refused. He made it clear that I should not come home if I work at RIMS,’’ Dr Srinivas told TNIE. This is not just the case of Dr Srinivas, but also most of the staff at RIMS staying in rented houses.
About 200 doctors, 250 nurses and paramedics and 190 sanitation staff are working at RIMS. All this is happening even as doctors, nurses and sanitation staff of RIMS are strictly following self-isolation norms while at home as they are well aware of the coronavirus impact.
“Soon after returning home, we are taking bath. We are taking all precautions like cleaning hands thoroughly and washing clothes with Dettol to avoid contamination,” a paramedical staffer explained.
While attending to duty, the medical staff are frequently washing hands with soap water or Dettol liquid, besides wearing N-95 face masks, hand gloves and full protective (disinfectant sprayed) aprons.
A staff nurse of RIMS, who does not want to be named, said her house owner asked her to vacate the penthouse in Bhagya Nagar.
‘Sanitation workers seen as virus spreaders, it is highly condemnable’
“I am staying in the house for the past one year. My house owner used to treat me like his daughter. After knowing that I am working in the isolation ward, he asked me to vacate the house immediately. With no other option, I shifted to a small single bedroom portion. I don’t know why people are so cruel at times and why they behave inhumanly?” she questioned, expressing her agony. Sanitation staff are also facing a similar situation. “I stayed in a rented house in Ramnagar till very recently. After the outbreak of coronavirus, my owner asked me to vacate the house immediately,” S Venkateswarlu, a sanitation worker at RIMS, told TNIE.
“When asked about the reason for his sudden decision, he replied he does not want to risk lives. The next day, I sent my family members to my native place. Now, I am living with the family of my co-worker at Koppolu village,” he said. Dr Muralikrishna Reddy, Deputy Superintendent of RIMS, said, “One of our paramedical staff is staying with us now after vacating his rented house. Even if doctors working in isolation wards are ready to pay a hefty amount as rent, house owners are reluctant to rent their premises.
This is very unfortunate and highly condemnable. All our medical fraternity is fighting with coronavirus risking our lives. Instead of recognising our efforts, people are avoiding us and distancing us. All we want from the society is support in our fight against coronavirus,” he said. After the outbreak of coronavirus, people are behaving in a selfish manner. Sanitation workers are facing inhuman treatment at many places. While travelling in public transport, people are trying to keep us at a distance as they feel that sanitation workers are here to spread the virus.
This is a very wrong impression about us,’’ lamented SK Haji Malang, leader of RIMS Sanitation Workers’ Union. Nurses who are the frontline staff in the ongoing battle against coronavirus echoed the same opinion. “Though we are trying to explain to them that we are taking every precaution to protect us and our family members and society, they are not listening. We request the public to extend support to medical and health staff and sanitation workers as we are rendering service to the society in the time of crisis,’’ appealed Kottapalli Manjesh, secretary of Nurses’ Association.