‘Avoid videography, taking pictures of virus affected persons’
Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Sept 27: The patients, who have won the battle with deadlier COVID-19 infection, are battling another struggle–social stigma arising out of panic surrounding this pandemic that has the entire world in its grip. Not just the cured people, their families are too facing taunts and social discrimination.
While interacting with EXCELSIOR, the cured patients expressed their ordeal, which they face on regular basis.
“The streets and lanes where we live are being branded as ‘Coronavirus Lane’. Many were seen pointing their fingers to our houses and talking in hushed tones”, they added.
The Government has taken several steps to create awareness about the disease so that it does not lead to such social discrimination, yet several cured patients are facing this, they said, adding “the shopkeepers are not allowing us to enter their establishments for purchasing household items and similar treatment is being meted out to our families”.
“I am worried about what will happen when the home quarantine will be over. Because of me, my family and relatives are facing lot of problems”, said a cured patient on the condition of anonymity, adding that health experts, on the other hand, suggest that people who won the fight against virus should be the ideal persons to create awareness about the virus, but how it is possible if a recovered patient face social stigma.
“Though Government is not disclosing the name and identity of any COVID-19 patient yet when people come to know about any patient they part their ways as if we are not human beings”, some other recovered persons said.
Some of the youngsters, who got cured from this virus also have a story to narrate. “We lose our jobs after we got affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially our bosses asked us to get cured and than resume work but later shunted out us”, they said.
“Videographing or taking pictures of COVID-19 patients while being shifting to hospital in ambulance really embarrass them”, they said, adding “whenever you find a person infected with COVID-19 in your neighbourhood or near your workplace, being taken to quarantine or isolation centre in an ambulance, do not make videos or take pictures, in fact disallow the person whom you find is doing same”, a well know doctor posted in a Government Hospital said on the condition of anonymity.
“When you see a COVID patient being shifting to quarantine or isolation centre, stand in your balcony, window or gate a feet away and give him/her a thumbs up. Wish the patient good luck and speedy recovery. Doing this will encourage the patient to fight this pandemic instead of thinking about society”, he added.
The way the virus is spreading, soon you will find an Ambulance infront of everybody’s gate or door, Vishal Sharma, a student said and asked the people to understand the virus affected person is just unwell and not a criminal.
“The virus affected person will get cured but the memory of how people treated him or her will stay with him or her forever”, a neighbour of COVID affected person said, adding “we are all in this fight together. Let’s spread love and build confidence”.
“Only awareness can stop this. There are instances when sufferers of infectious diseases are stigmatised. But only the right information passed by competent authority can change the mindset”, he maintained.
While talking to the EXCELSIOR, a well know Psychiatric Doctor Jagish Thapa said that cured COVID-19 pandemic patients usually visit to him and sometime get suggestions on phone.
“Post COVID, the cured patients are facing depression, anxiety, sleep disorder and restlessness. Not only the cured or asymptomatic patients face social stigma, but their family members also face the same situation”, he informed.
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