Locals shutting Covid teams out of villages amid rumours, lack of care
Unsubstantiated information about patients’ organ harvesting during treatment creates fear psychosis; some panchayats pass resolutions banning entry of health staff coming to collect samples
CHANDIGARH:INCREASING incidents of villagers opposing the entry of Covid-19 testing teams coming to their localities to collect samples of the contacts of infected patients has emerged as a fresh challenge for the health department in its efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
The main triggers behind the boycott are rumours circulating among the public about alleged organ harvesting of the infected patients, particularly that of kidneys, during their treatment besides lack of facilities in Covid-19 centres and the health staff conducting false tests.
In the last one week, several such incidents were witnessed in the villages of Sangrur, Patiala and Barnala districts with the situation even turning violent in some cases when the local administration officials forcibly tried to enter the localities to test the contacts of those having tested positive for coronavirus.
On Wednesday, a health department team that went to collect Covid-19 samples from Sangrur’s Dirba area was attacked when some slum dwellers pelted them with stones. The police were called to rescue the health staff. The incident was recorded on camera. The protesting villagers said the department was forcing them to undergo the test after a coronavirus case was reported from the area.
Also, Sangrur’s Chatha Nanhera, Fatehgarh Channa and Deh Kalan villages passed resolutions that they will not to allow the health teams to enter their areas to take samples.
‘YOUTHS’ BODIES COMING BACK FROM HOSPITALS’
On Thursday, a video of Kasba Bharal village of the district surfaced wherein residents are seen warning of consequences if doctors or other health staff tried to pressurise them to get tested.
Kasba Bharal sarpanch Satpal Singh (49) said there is a fear in the minds of the people that those getting admitted to hospital for treatment are not returning alive. “Even the bodies of youths are coming from hospitals. People are scared as they believe that organs are being stolen. We are ready to give sample but will not go to hospitals for treatment,” said the sarpanch.
Sangrur deputy commissioner Ramvir said, “A very few people are against testing and are spreading baseless rumours. We can’t isolate a level-3 patient at home. People should cooperate with the health department teams as as the pandemic is likely to peak in mid-september.”
Swaranjit Singh, a leader of the Punjab Paramedical and Health Employees’ Front, said poor facilities in Covid-19 centres in the Sangrur district led to the mess. “The isolation centres do not have adequate staff and basic facilities such as oxygen, cleanliness and proper meals are lacking,” he added.
SITUATION GRIM IN SBS NAGAR TOO
In SBS Nagar district too, the health department is in a fix after residents are refusing to undergo the coronavirus test. At Jaffarpur village, the health teams were turned back by the villagers and panchayat members on August 21 and 24. They wrote a letter to the deputy commissioner that the panchayat and all residents were in a consensus that no one from the village was willing to give sample. “If someone becomes symptomatic, only then he or she will undergo test on their own volition. Please don’t send the health teams to our village,” reads the letter.
Former Jaffarpur sarpanch Sarabjit Singh said two residents from the village — sarpanch Kehar Singh (68) and Hari Krishan (72) died at the Rajindra Hospital on August 16 and 9.
“The two were hale and hearty and had no complication. They died due to the poor treatment at the hospital. They were not even given proper food,” he said.
On Wednesday, nearly 15 houses were found locked at Ibrahim Basti of the SBS Nagar when a health department team went to collect samples of residents after five migrants tested positive for Covid-19 a day before.
FARMER UNIONS ADD FUEL TO FIRE
At Pharpur village in Patiala district’s Samana block, a team of doctors had to wait the entire day on Tuesday and return without conducting tests when activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Bkudakunda) staged a dharna asking people not to give their samples.
Dr Aslum Parvez, state president of the Rural Medical Services
Association, who was leading the health team, said, “The BKU leaders announced from a gurudwara that nobody will give samples to the health team. Our team had gone to collect samples on the request of some villagers after the death of a woman named Labh Kaur due to the virus. The villagers even threatened our staff,” said Parvez.
BKU (Dakaunda) chief Darshan Pal said the farmer unions are with the people.
“The son of one of our union members was shifted from Samana to the Rajinder Medical College, Patiala, declaring him as Covid-19 positive. He died during treatment but his report came negative after a few hours. The valuables he had were also missing. People have doubts about the testing process also as they think that some are falsely being shown as positive,” said Darshan Pal.
“I myself am a doctor and we are not against testing of people and treatment in hospitals. But the government must win people’s trust by providing them the best treatment,” he said.
CM WILL WRITE TO SARPANCHES
Principal secretary (health and family welfare) Hussan Lal said the issue was discussed in the Covid review meeting chaired by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh who has decided to write to all sarpanches and elected local government representatives.
“The elected members should come forward to make the villagers aware in this fight. They will be asked to ensure this,” said the principal secretary.
(Inputs by Navrajdeep Singh
and Gagandeep Jassowal)
Poor facilities in Covid-19 centres led to the mess in Sangrur. These centres do not have adequate staff and basic facilities like oxygen, and proper meals are lacking. SWARANJIT SINGH, leader of the Punjab Paramedical and Health Employees’ Front