Effect of COVID 19 on human rights of medical professionals in India

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus -19 has been a topic that everyone is familiar with in today’s times. Infact, all of us are still undergoing the necessary lockdown imposed by our Indian government as a preventive measure. However, in the midst of all this security, we often tend to forget about the people that are the most exposed to the virus–the medical professionals. The future of the health workers is as risky as the people who are tested positive for the virus. In fact, I would like to go a bit further and even state that they are the primary candidates for infection, as they are the front runners with regards to exposure.

The World Health Organization(WHO),had therefore, addressed this plight of the field of medicine by providing certain rights and duties to the medical professionals and their employers, respectively.

Following are the duties that the employers of health workers need to follow in order to not violate basic human rights of the latter –

• The employers are very much expected to provide information, and the necessary hands on training for the health workers regarding occupational safety and health – which includes Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• They are also expected to provide a free and safe environment for the workers to talk about any exposure to the illness or any violence that they faced, without blaming them for lack of responsibility or care.
• The health workers should be expected to be given a proper work timetable with appropriate breaks.
• The workers should have the right to seek compensation, rehabilitation, and other necessary services as and when they prefer.
• They should be provided with mental and counselling services.

However, in a country like India, where the gap between expectations and reality cannot be further apart, it becomes increasingly difficult to execute these abovementioned guidelines on safety. The kind of treatment that nurses such as Lisha Jose faced, constitutes only a small portion of the type of degrading treatment that these “angels of mercy” face. Even, the video of two female doctors being thrown stones at and chased in Indore shows how helpless we become in front of people who are unaware about the globality and severity of this illness.

Therefore, I think it is very much a step in the right direction for the government to impose punishment of up to 7 yearsfor incorporating violence against these selfless warriors.

The virus, after all, has made us realize how our country is riddled with social stigmas and boycotts, even in the face of a pandemic. The workers do not deserve the mindless violence and abuse hurled against them, and therefore, strict measures need to be taken so as to eradicate this open hostility towards people who have been doing nothing but saving people’s lives.