Surat Doctor Sanjivani Attacked, Verbally Abused by Neighbours, Told Not to Return Home From Hospital Over Fear of ‘Infecting Others With COVID-19’; Shocking Video Surfaces on Social Media

Surat, April 7: In a shocking incident, a doctor in Gujarat's Surat was attacked and verbally abused by her neighbours on Sunday over fears of spreading coronavirus. Reports inform that the neighbours threatened her as they believed that the doctor was infected with coronavirus and she would spread it to the entire building. They told her not to return home from the hospital as she might be infected with COVID-19. The doctor, Dr Sanjivani, works at Surat Civil Hospital, where coronavirus patients are also treated. She tried to make her neighbour understand that she just works in a hospital which also treats COVID-19 patients.

Describing her ordeal, she said her neighbours have told her that she I shouldn't return home from hospital as she must've got infected with COVID-19. “They verbally abused and threatened me but Police extended their support to me”, the doctor said. According to a tweet by ANI, the doctor informed that due to COVID-19 crisis, there's lot of pressure at hospital.  Airline Staff in India Requests People Not to Spread Rumours About COVID-19, Says She Was Harassed by Residents of Her Society; Watch Video.

Doctor working in Surat Civil Hospital was harassed by her neighbour who abused her and also physically assaulted.

CM @vijayrupanibjp must take strict action.

Doctors already suffer due to lack of PPEs. Now they also are facing social isolation!pic.twitter.com/P31N3H6BMw

— Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) April 6, 2020

Here's the tweet:

My neighbours have told me told me that I shouldn't return home from hospital as I must've got infected with COVID19. They verbally abused&threatened me.Police has extended their support to me.Due to #COVID19 crisis,there's lot of pressure at hospital:Dr Sanjivani, Surat, Gujarat pic.twitter.com/3TYyjKI5bN

— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2020

Such behavior by neighbours and society members is being witnessed from parts of the nation. Doctors and health care workers are being targeted as they battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus. At the time when India battles the COVID-19 outbreak, sporadic attacks on doctors, social workers and police personnel have surfaced raising concerns over their safety and prompting warnings by authorities. Air India's Corona Heroes, Who Brought Hundreds of Stranded Indians Home From COVID-19 Hit Countries, Face Ostracisation by Vigilante Groups.

Earlier this month, two women doctors were injured in Indore when a 5-member team of health officials were attacked with stones while they were trying to trace a person who had come into contact with a COVID-19 patient.