Doctors and nurses are mistreated because of Covid-19

As the fight against Covid-19 becomes increasingly difficult, healthcare workers around the world are being praised for working overtime and danger to protect the lives of others.

The aggressors are only a minority in the community.

Last week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also had to send police to protect medical staff after reports of violent incidents, including a hospital employee having bleach thrown in his face.

Medical staff protested demanding protective equipment to treat Covid-19 patients in Mexico City, Mexico on March 31.

`I understand people’s fear, but it is not okay to mistreat doctors. We face even higher risks than them,` replied Panigrahi, a doctor in the western Indian city of Surat.

In Panigrahi’s case, the harassment only stopped after police and local officials intervened.

The doctors’ association in Delhi has reported to the government the situation of healthcare workers being evicted by their landlords over concerns about their jobs.

`It is extremely painful. All doctors and staff on Covid-19 duty are taking all precautions, to ensure they are not carriers of the disease,` India’s Health Minister

Officials say the attacks reflect some people’s ignorance about nCoV as well as strict procedures at hospitals to prevent the virus from spreading.

One of the shocking incidents occurred last week in Candelaria City, Quezon Province, Philippines, when a man allegedly shot the driver of a Peter Paul Medical Center ambulance due to concerns that the vehicle would cause damage.

Peter Paul Medical Center said the driver was transporting medical staff, not Covid-19 patients.

Attacks also appear sporadically in many other parts of the world, including the United States.

`On my way to work and back, I often see people backing away from me, not just because of social distancing rules. I think they are worried that any medical staff has contracted the virus,` she said.

Surrounded by fear, people not only attacked medical staff, but also sabotaged medical facilities.

Some people responded to the press that they did not want the testing facility to be located too close to residential areas.

Experts fear the attacks and insults risk discouraging medical staff right at a time when what they need most is mental strength.

Protesters destroyed a field hospital under construction to treat Covid-19 patients in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on April 6.

In Mexico, distrust of medical staff is so widespread that many do not dare wear uniforms to work.

When the bus was about to arrive at the waiting point where Castillo was standing, she tried to wave her hand.

Castillo is one of the nurses in Jalisco state who filed complaints with authorities about discrimination and mistreatment in recent weeks.

`As we see, when nurses in Italy leave home to go to work, everyone applauds. And the situation here is sad,` said Fernando Rios Quinones, spokesman for the local health agency.

Sandra Aleman, a nurse in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was once advised not to wear her uniform in public.

On the way to the hospital, Aleman stopped at a convenience store to buy coffee.

Aleman scolded the children, but was then slapped by their mother.

`I will return after I recover,` Aleman said.