Sajad Hameed
Locals of Agumuna area in Kunzer of Baramulla district in North Kashmir on Monday morning attacked a medical team on Covid duty in the area.
Block Medical officer (BMO), Kunzer speaking to The Kashmiriyat over phone said that locals from Agomuna area in Tangmarg attacked the medical staff with stones when they had gone to the area for covid Tests, she said that the locals of the area have in the recent past too, showed hatred against the medical staff.
“It is unfortunate that Doctors and medical teams who are working hard to serve people, leaving their families behind, are being attacked by the same people,” the BMO said.
She said that she has reported the incident to the Jammu Kashmir Police, who have reached the spot. The Jammu Kashmir Police upon being contacted by The Kashmiriyat said that an FIR in this regard has been registered and is looking for the ‘culprits’ who attacked the medical staff.
LOCAL VERSION
Locals however denounced the official version of the event and alleged that a medical official abused them.
A Local on the condition of anonymity said that the locals of the area have requested the health authorities to remove the ‘Covid Testing Centre’ from their area, it increases the chances of people getting affected to the virus.
He said hundreds of people from at least ten villages around Agumuna come for covid tests here in the centre which has been set up in Panchayat Ghar in the area, “Eight people from our village, many more in the covid centre have been tested positive, we do not understand why the testing centre has been set-up in our area,” he asked.
He said that a few days ago Army men laden in two vehicles came for testing to this centre and stopped in the midst of the village for many minutes, got in physical contact with many. “At least eight people from our village have been tested positive and we believe it is only due to the Covid Testing centre,” he said.
He further told The Kashmiriyat that they appealed the authorities to set up the covid testing centre in the middle of the Tehsil, rather than in a remote village, but our constant requests went unheard, he said.
Detailing Monday morning’s incident, he said that a vehicle of health officials stormed into the area making announcements to the public. “We repeated our genuine concerns, but they did not listen to us.” When the health officials were about to leave, one of them outing his head through the window abused us, agitating the locals.
“Nobody can tolerate if your sister is abused,” he said, adding, “Yes, they do a lot of hardwork, but that does not license them to go on abusing wildly, they are not above the law, they cannot just go on abusing our sisters under the veil of working hard in covid situation.”