More than a panic reaction :: Plight of healthcare workers
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 14 2020 -

This is more than a panic reaction. This is a reaction borne out of a mindset nurtured and even glorified down the years, a mindset wherein people start judging others.

This is what is glaringly visible in the act of barring doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers from returning home by some locals who think they can don the role of vigilantes and Manipur has a rich supply of such ‘enlightened’ souls.

This is also a sharp reflection of where the fight against the virus that causes COVID-19 is failing.

From a green zone to now a place which has reported over 4000 positive cases with more than 10 deaths and this should more than say that not enough attention was paid on how Manipur should brace itself up for the fight, once the decision to open the borders to thousands of Manipur natives to return home was taken.

The Government is right in asserting that the natives of Manipur cannot be left alone to fend for themselves in alien cities, especially in the face of the rampant racism that was witnessed in different cities of the country, but along with opening the doors for the returnees the basic groundwork should have been done.

This is the reason why The Sangai Express has been consistently stating that the Government will need to look beyond lockdowns.

The precursor of the present ugly reality could be seen the day Manipur had her first COVID-19 positive patient in the person of a young girl from Thangmeiband on March 24.

As reports of the young girl testing positive spread like wildfire, many leikai heroes and heroines came out, blocked roads and barred the entry and exit of many all over Imphal and the adjoining places.

This should have more than sensitised the people and the Government that the fight against the virus will have to be taken up on many fronts.

Frontline warriors. People need to understand what this actually means and if one starts discriminating the frontline workers, then who will treat the infected people ?

A simple point this is and surprising that this bare fact has blown over the heads of numerous people.

The pressure mounted on the health professionals can only be imagined and it is very disturbing to note that reports have come in of at least 15 people, including nurses having had to quit their jobs, all in order to convey that ‘they are not a threat to the locality’

Nothing can be more tragic than this.

Locality pressure and surely people of Manipur can live without this self created hindrance and extend co-operation and help to each other in the fight against the virus.

Just follow the rules of maintaining physical distance, wear a face mask while stepping out from one’s house and maintain personal hygiene particularly washing one’s hands with soap thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

That such a situation is happening at this time, when professionals and experts across the world are advocating home quarantine for the asymptomatic people, is a clear statement that many are still unaware of the ground reality.

Let the doctors, nurses and health care professionals carry on with their work unhindered without the society piling more pressure on them such as barring them from returning home from their workplace.

Just don’t go near them and don’t socialise with them if the suspicion is high but don’t stop them from working and going to their work place.