These are times when the whole country should be collectively fighting against the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in complete cooperation and solidarity with one another. But ironically, authorities in a Civil Hospital located in Asarva, Ahmedabad are making a distinction between Hindu and Muslim patients. The authorities of the hospital allegedly separated Hindu and Muslim patients in the specially made 1200 bed COVID-19 facility. The officials looking into the matter said that a spatial segregation between patients of the two communities was done three days back following instruction from senior government officers. However, the state government has gone ahead and labelled these allegations as baseless.
The Medical Superintendent GH Rathod said, “Whatever has been done is based on the decision taken by the state government. I have nothing to add and I don’t want to comment.” Meanwhile, the district collector said that he had no idea that such a move had been initiated and that he hadn’t come across any such order by the government.
Meanwhile, the Deputy CM Nitin Patel who also happens to be the health minister chose not to comment in the matter. The state government has also not issued any remarks in the matter. However, according to many ground reports patents were indeed separated on the basis of religion at the hospital and the decision is said to be in line with the orders issued by the state government.
According to a report in The Indian Express, a patient was quoted saying:” On Sunday night, the names of 28 men admitted in the first ward were called out. We were then shifted to another ward. While we were not told why we were being shifted, all the names that were called out belonged to one community. We spoke to one staff member in our ward today and he said that this has been done for the comfort of both communities.”
Generally hospitals have separate wards for Hindu and Muslim patients but this is for the first time that patients are being differentiated on the basis of their religious affiliations. The report also said that out of the 150 people who have tested positive for coronavirus at the hospital, about 40 are Muslims.
