Doctors in COVID facilities allege abuse by patients’ kin

NT NETWORK

Panaji

Alleging that its member doctors in the state-run COVID facilities have been abused by kin of patients while on duty, in two separate incidents, the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) on Thursday threatened to withdraw its services from COVID-19 duty if such incidents continue to occur.

In a statement issued here, GARD claimed that on April 18, the doctors on duty including other medical staff in the intensive care unit at the South Goa District Hospital in Margao were abused by relatives of a COVID positive patient, who died while undergoing treatment.

The doctors’ association alleged that a similar incident took place in the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim on April 28 wherein doctors and nursing staff were abused and a ventilator broken by relatives of a patient.

“It saddens us immensely that even after giving our best efforts while being crippled by lack of adequate facilities, oxygen supply, beds, manpower etc, we have been at the receiving end of multiple threats and violent incidents,” reads the statement issued by GARD.

“It is always the resident doctors who are at the receiving end of abuses for lack of beds and other facilities. The people need to understand that we have joined GMC as postgraduate students and are providing medical services as a part of learning,” it reads further.

The GARD has stated that if any further violent incident against doctors takes place in any of the COVID facilities, then their 300-odd member doctors will withdraw services without giving any notice to the concerned authorities.

 “If the administration cannot provide security to the doctors or if the people of Goa fail to understand the situation and the plight of healthcare workers, then we won’t be responsible for any further untoward incidents happening as a result of the withdrawal of our services,” GARD said.  

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