Residents of Indore’s Tatpatti Bakhal locality, who chased away a team of doctors and health workers tracing contacts of a patient on Wednesday, have been more responsive since, not panicking at the possibility of isolation. The team had quarantined 36 primary contacts of three patients in different localities until 5 p.m. on Friday.
“Although we are working more today, mentally we are more relaxed,” said Dr. Trupti Katdare, who works at a Primary Healthcare Centre in Kshipra and was among those heckled and pelted with stones.
The incident had sent across a clear message, believes Dr. Zakiya Sayyed — who was also with Dr. Katdare on Wednesday — resulting in a positive change in attitudes. “A tenant from a building where a patient was found positive insisted on isolation for himself, although he had not had any contact. The country has received the message of not fearing isolation.”
People’s support
“If doctors can work in such adverse conditions, those who had contact with positive cases can come forward and help society too,” said Dr. Sayyed, who works at a Primary Healthcare Centre at Kampel. “If people follow this, within one week we can have control over the spurt in the city.”
The cause for distrust, said Dr. Katdare, stemmed mainly from rumours being spread on the social media. For instance, one message advised residents to resist quarantine at a different location as they would be huddled into a bus, taken to an undisclosed location and hideously be injected with the virus. “It’s not about the lack of awareness, but a wrong message being spread around, people being misguided,” she said.
To dispel this uncertainty, good counselling it the only key, believe the doctors. “If you counsel them well, there will be no issues. People are afraid of being quarantined, as it is shrouded in uncertainty. If you tell them the government is working for their own good, a positive message is sent across. Doctors, just do your duty!” said Dr. Katdare.
The misgiving about economic costs of a quarantine drives people away too. “They need to be assured all arrangements will be taken care of by the government,” said Dr. Sayyed, who admitted it is a challenge to trace contacts in the city’s congested clusters where the outbreak happened.
With most patients having no contact or travel history, doctors are yet to trace the source in Indore.
