No Covid patient will be shifted to isolation facility after 8 pm in Ludhiana

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 15

District Health Departments across the state have been asked to take care of the privacy of the Covid-19 patients. Now, no person after testing positive will be shifted to an isolation facility after 8 pm.

It is generally observed that as soon as a person tests positive, he/she is immediately shifted to an isolation facility by a team of the Health Department even during odd hours (late night).

Taking a strong note of the move the Director, Health Services, Punjab, Dr Avneet Kaur, has written to all Deputy Commissioners and Civil Surgeons in the state and asked them to take care of the privacy of the people after they test positive for the virus.

“District health teams reach homes of people even during late night hours to shift them to an isolation facility, which is uncalled for as it is completely against their right to privacy,” said Dr Avneet.

No patient would be shifted to an isolation facility after 8 pm, Dr Avneet added. “A person has right to privacy and teams should ensure respectful transfer of patients to an isolation facility and minimise hardships faced by them,” Dr Avneet added.

The Ludhiana Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajesh Bagga, said, “Once a patient tests positive he/she is sent a message on his/her registered mobile number and asked to immediately isolate himself/herself from the rest of the family members. He/she is to be shifted to isolation within two hours. Now, new instructions will be taken care of.”

All health teams in the state will be sensitised to deal with such patients with empathy and respect their right to maintain privacy.

Another problem is that whenever a health team reaches the house of a Covid patient with an ambulance to be shift him/her to an isolation facility people from nearby houses start clicking pictures and videograph the entire episode, which they later upload on the social media.

A Covid patient demanded that strict action should be taken against such people, who click pictures and make videos.