A doctor from Bengaluru returned home after treating coronavirus patients, and she was left in tears after her whole apartment complex surprised her by giving her a round of applause and cheers from their balconies. The video of the heart-warming gesture was shared online on May 2 by the city’s mayor.
Mayor of Bengaluru M Goutham Kumar, @BBMP_MAYOR, shared the clip on Twitter with the caption: "Dr. Vijayashree of Bengaluru received a heroic welcome when she returned home after tending to Covid-19 patients in MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital. A big thank you to all the #CoronaWarriors working selflessly on the frontline of this pandemic. We salute you.”
When Dr Vijayashree returned from her duty, community members gathered in their respective balconies and windows to welcome her and clapped for her. Moved by the gesture, Dr Vijayashree is seen in tears with a smile on her face in the video.
Social media users appreciated the community’s effort and called the medical professional a “hero”.
Tweep @karakulangara expressed his gratitude for healthcare workers in the country: “Salute to Dr. Vijayashree and all the medical teams taking care of our brothers and sisters in the country and abroad... #CoronaWarriorsIndia working 24x7 selflessly and relentlessly."
Twitter user @panish711 wrote: “Heroes of our country.”
User @mahesh_kesavan tweeted: “Dr Vijayalakshmi has made the entire medical community of India feel proud. The members of her housing society also deserve praise for acknowledging her efforts. Together we will win the battle against the pandemic.”
Similarly, another doctor from India was welcomed with loud claps and flowers by her family and neighbours after treating coronavirus patients in the ICU of a hospital for 20 days straight recently.
However, not all healthcare workers have been treated positively in India amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Several instances of people asking doctors to leave their neighbourhoods, with many being verbally and physically abused have surfaced. Largely, people fear that medical staff could be carriers of the disease.
