Combating COVID-19: Misbehaviour with doctors, nurses won't be tolerated, says Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the people who misbehave with doctors and nurses treating COVID-19 patients will strictly be punished.

"It needs to be understood that doctors and nurses are saving our lives. They are treating COVID-19 patients despite being at risk to be affected by the coronavirus. Instead of appreciating them, we are misbehaving with them. I would like to warn the people that any misbehaviour with them will not be tolerated. Strictest punishment will be given to such people," Chief Minister Kejriwal said at a daily media briefing.

"In today's meeting with L-G and Delhi Police officials, we have decided that such incidents will not be tolerated. I am happy the people who assaulted the doctors in Gautam Nagar are in police custody," he added.

Two woman resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital were allegedly assaulted by their neighbours, who accused them of 'spreading coronavirus' in Gautam Nagar area here late on Wednesday night.

Earlier today, Kejriwal held a meeting with Medical Directors, Superintendents of Delhi's government and private hospitals, via video-conferencing, to formulate a strategy for early identification of COVID-19 patients in the national capital.

At present, there are 669 cases of coronavirus in the national capital including 426 from the Tablighi Jamaat event that took place in Nizamuddin Markaz last month.

With 591 fresh COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total count of coronavirus positive cases on Thursday climbed to 5,865, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.Among the total cases include 5,218 active cases, 478 cured, discharged, and migrated cases and 169 deaths.