In yet another instance of people misbehaving with heath workers engaged in the campaign against coronavirus, a group of ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwives) were eve-teased and manhandled when they were out to survey and screen homes in Nuh, Haryana. The team, comprising both male and female nurses, appealed to senior authorities seeking police protection, following which they were granted an escort.
Mewat has registered the highest number of coronavirus cases in Haryana; following this, the health department is going house to house and testing people. According to the nurses, they were on a screening survey in Bisru village, going from home to home and screening people to find coronavirus cases.
The nurses claimed that men in the village passed lewd remarks, asking them to get married. When their male colleagues intervened, the villagers allegedly charged at them and manhandled them. The team was allegedly driven out by the villagers, who threatened them to never come back.
"The entire village stood staring and passed lewd comments. A man told me I was 'hot' and should go with him. We got similar treatment at almost every house. When our colleagues asked them to behave, they attacked them. We are too scared to go back," said one of the complainants.
According to Nuh Chief Medical Officer Dr Virender Yadav, the complaint of the nurses was being probed.
The health department has now deputed a police team to accompany these health workers on their screening and survey duties.
