RAJKOt: Eight persons were made to clean the government quarantine facility in Bhavnagar’s Sir T Hospital on Sunday as a punishment for allegedly thrashing a doctor, who had given primary treatment to the Covid-19 patient who died on March 26.
On Saturday night, the eight persons allegedly attacked private doctor Girish Makwana, who is home quarantined, as he was part of team that had treated the coronavirus patient in a private hospital. The attackers were neighbours who feared that their children might get infected with the deadly virus. Makwana told police in his complaint that his nephews were also assaulted and sister abused by the group.
After being asked to stay at home, Dr Makwana went to live in Subhashnagar area of Bhavnagar at his sister Rasila Menia’s house which was vacant for the past few months. When Rasila’s nephews - Dharmesh and Mehul - came to give him tiffin on Saturday evening, eight persons living in the neighbourhood picked up a quarrel with them saying that the doctor should not be staying there. They then allegedly thrashed them with sticks and pipes. Rasila, who lodged the complaint, was also allegedly abused by the group.
They were called for questioning by the B-division police and then allowed to go. However, Bhavnagar district administration ordered them to clean the inside and outside area of the quarantine facility has punishment after the incident sparked anger among the doctor fraternity.
Talking to TOI, district development officer (DDO), V J Baranwal said, “When I visited a few hospitals on Sunday, doctors complained to me that such behaviour with medicos, that too at the time of the pandemic, was unacceptable and discouraging. So, we asked these eight persons to see how doctors worked in quarantine facilities. We did not want the attackers to repeat such an act.”
However, one of the eight also lodged a cross-complaint against Makwana’s sister Rasila, alleging that she thrashed them when they asked her not to keep a ‘suspected Covid-19’ person at her house. The complainant said they were scared that their children might get infected.