Editorial: When ignorance overtakes basic humanity

The same doctor, who served countless patients in his lifetime, could not be given a decent burial as the ambulance carrying the body was attacked and severely damaged by an angry group who gathered at the burial ground. The driver and Corporation staffers suffered injuries as well. Later, it took the intervention of the police force to facilitate the last rites, as per WHO norms. Thus ended the life of a surgeon who instead of getting a heartfelt send-off for his sacrifice, was hastily interred into the ground.

This incident comes barely ten days after another similar event when a doctor from Nellore tested positive and died at a private hospital. His interring too was stopped when locals objected saying the burial would cause the virus to spread in the vicinity. The body had to be taken back to the hospital before alternative arrangements were made.

‘Denial of dignity in death is the ultimate sacrilege’, declared the Indian Medical Association, in a sharply worded comment, warning the public and the government of retaliation. Retaliation, or even abstaining from their duty would prove catastrophic for our country as it struggles to keep the virus spread in check. It is these doctors who show up to work every day, risking their lives with inadequate protective gear, to ensure that their patients walk out of hospitals fully cured. Since the first case of a doctor testing positive was reported from Podanur near Coimbatore towards the end of March, at least 13 doctors have tested positive for the virus so far. Added to that, incidents of health workers and paramedics being attacked and assaulted in the country are being reported with sickening regularity.

Ignorance of the fundamentals concerning the spread of COVID-19 coupled with fear psychosis and mob mentality has caused people to accord more importance to ‘I’ than ‘we’. Fake news, another dangerous epidemic now stalking the globe, has done enough damage to people’s thinking, especially among the gullible and the uneducated. If such incidents are allowed to go unpunished, if people succeed in transferring their unfounded fears into keeping doctors and healthcare workers away from their jobs, then we are cutting off the only lifeline keeping us safe from the onslaught of the virus.