Are the authorities justified in punishing the doctor on duty during the Covid-19 crisis?
Are the authorities justified in punishing the doctor on duty during the Covid-19 crisis?
Dr. Bhami Sadashiv Shenoy, who decided to keep his clinic open in Banwatal city, has been named in the FIR for failing to report the Kovid-19 case.
The city of Bantwal was shocked when one of its residents committed suicide in Kovid-19 on April 19, the first death in Dakshina Kannada. Residents of Bantwal were further surprised when long-serving Dr D Bhami Sadashiv Shenoy of the city was named in the FIR for failing to report the Kovid-19 case to local health officials.
After a mandatory 14-day separation, Dr. Shenoy returned to his residence on May 3 and set the house apart. This is the right time to focus on the appropriateness of taking such drastic and extreme action against him. Without a doubt, all those government employees up to the local health or deputy commissioner are working under extreme stress 24x7 to save us all. They followed the "rules" set by the government in the best interests of the country.
When all the other doctors in Bantwal (a small town serving the surrounding villages) closed their clinics, Dr. Shenoy decided that he should keep his clinic open. Regardless of the risk posed by the virus, people cannot avoid getting sick and need medical help. That noble thought led them to keep working.
Financial gain was never his goal. He is well appreciated by all the inhabitants of Bantwal who know him. Regardless of what religion or community they belong to, through their 40 years of service, they hold him in high esteem. This came as a further shock to Bantwal and the people around him when they heard about the FIR registered against him.
While the concerned patient on April 15, Dr. By the time Shenoy approached, it would have been almost impossible for any doctor to diagnose Kovid-19 based on his complaints. He had allergic rhinitis with allergic bronchial asthma. She did not show symptoms of Covid-19 such as fever or cough. He spent less than 15 minutes in his clinic. She was his patient 10 years ago and for the last eight years, he was being treated by specialists from KMC, Mangalore. The downfall prevented her from visiting her doctors regularly and so she approached Dr. Shenoy.
There are some more interesting details. She was admitted to the hospital on April 17, two days after the doctor's visit. She tested negative for COVID-19 when the first test was performed. It was only the second test that revealed her to be infected with the disease. The test results of the patient's husband, his son and daughter, who are part of the household, were negative. Once the patient died on April 19, the authorities were under intense pressure to make a scapegoat. Dr .. Shenoy was an easy target. Dr. Shenoy's well-known local health officer and district health officer sympathized with his cause. But they could do nothing and led the FIR.
Four days after the patient's death, his in-laws also died at Wenlock Hospital in Mangalore after signing the Kovid-19 contract. Prior to that, she had been in the ICU at First Neuro Hospital (FNH) since March 24 after suffering a stroke. She was moved after being diagnosed with Covid-19. It is a mystery that no charges have been filed against FNH for failing to report the Kovid-19 case. Later, the hospital became an inspected isolation center.
Meanwhile, Dr. Shenoy was asked to keep himself separate from the National Institute, Karnataka Surathakal (NITT) for 14 days. He was given only 15 minutes to prepare. His application for self-quarantine was rejected. Officials took these steps in accordance with the rules, which must be appreciated. However, the way Dr. Shenoy was different in the first three days at the hostel was sad. The jail. According to Shenoy, it would have been even better to be in jail.
It was in a small room with no TV, no books to read, and no private toilet or bath. He was not allowed to set foot outside. They were given only half a liter of water per day. Things changed only after he complained of high-ups. It is no exaggeration to argue that Dr. Shenoy was treated so badly for the first three days that it amounted to a violation of his human rights. Thanks to the e-arts of the nodal o-seer, the Nitke quarantine facility is now recognized as a model by the visiting WHO o-seals.
However, the concerned officials said that Dr. Shenoy has been informally assured that the FIR against him will be quashed, there is no certainty. Our system works mysteriously. It is commendable that IMA has taken up the case of Dr. Shenoy and assured him that he will do this for his purpose.
It is also the responsibility of the people concerned who believe in justice to put forward the cause of Dr. Shenoy and write a letter to his elected representatives. Bantwal's MLAs and MPs should also give their reasons. The government should not only allow the officers to lodge an FIR, but also recognize Dr Shenoy for helping Bantwal in his time of need. The case will not be like that of RTI activist Vinayak Baliga who was killed four years ago. Our society has already forgotten its sacrament.
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