Doctor, Cop Attacked In Line Of COVID-19 Duty In Madhya Pradesh

A doctor working at a government hospital and a police officer were attacked today in Madhya Pradesh when they went to screen a possible patient for coronavirus, hours after the government passed an ordinance making provisions for stringent punishment for attacks on medical personnel. While the doctor has been unhurt, the police officer has sustained head injuries.

This was the fifth attack on those working to battle the highly contagious virus. Earlier, doctors and policemen, as well as sanitation workers, have come under attack.

Sources said today's incident was reported from Gaswani village of Sheopur district, where a farmer and his sons threw stones at  Dr Pawan Upadhyay and Assistant Sub Inspector Sriram Awasthi.

"The doctor had gone to the village after coming to know that Gopal, the son of a farmer, Gangaram, was ill," said Sampat Upadhyaya, a senior police officer of the area.

Since Gopal recently came back from Guna district, the doctor, who was posted at the Vijaypur government hospital, went to get him screened.

But the family did not allow  him to screen Gopal or any other  member and asked him to leave.

The doctor then sought the help of the police and when he went back with Sriram Awasthi, they were attacked by the farmer and his sons.

Gangaram and his second son Ashish have been arrested, but the suspected coronavirus patient, Gopal, managed to escape.

A case has been registered against the farmer and his two sons. The police said the stringent National Security Act will also be invoked against them.

The government has made it clear that doctors are frontline soldiers in the battle against the coronavirus and any attack on them will draw strict punishment.

After the cabinet meet where the ordinance was okayed earlier today, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said, "We have zero tolerance and will not allow this in a civilised society".

Any attack on health workers will bring a penalty of anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. For serious offences, where there are reports of serious injury, the fine will be between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

"In addition to this, there will also be a jail term -- a minimum of 6 months and up to 5 years and for serious cases up to 7 years. This will be a non-bailable offence," the minister said.