A Covid-19 positive patient was booked by the police in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on Sunday, after he allegedly spat on a nurse treating him at a government hospital in Tiruchirappalli.
The incident reportedly happened in the isolation ward of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli. The patient admitted to the hospital's coronavirus ward on Saturday, allegedly also removed his mask and threw it at the nurse, enraging the hospital staff and other patients.
Tweep @tweetsaran said healthcare workers needed more protection: "Pls protect healthcare professionals.
Another Twitter user said: "Can't understand how anyone thinks it is okay to endanger lives of healthcare workers especially at this time, when the world needs more of them. That too someone who is actively treating you."
And, tweep Sonam Mahajan said stricter laws and punishments need to be in place to ensure that patients don't harrass doctors, nurses and paramedics in India. She referred to a recent case in the United Kingdom, where a woman named Joel Martinique Hall, 24, was jailed after she bit and spat at an emergency worker while claiming to have the coronavirus. The offender was awarded 6 months of prison time.
Case registered under multiple sections
According to Indian media reports, the police said: "It was a serious crime under the present conditions with so many restrictions in force to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Ever since his admission in the ward, he has not been cooperating with the medical staff," the police added.
The hospital filed a complaint with the police and based on the complaint a case has been registered against the patient under Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease) and 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Indian Penal Code.
Overall, Tamil Nadu has reported the third-highest number of positive coronavirus cases in the country after Maharashtra and Delhi, with a total of 969 confirmed cases, and 10 deaths so far. Tiruchirappalli has 39 cases of Covid-19, the district has the 9th highest number of Covid-19 cases in the state.
