An investigation has been launched into a complaint made by staff nurses of a government hospital accusing patients belonging to the Tablighi Jamaat of roaming naked inside the hospital and making lewd gestures and remarks at the nurses.
Five suspected patients and one confirmed Covid19 case are currently housed in the isolation ward of MMG District Hospital in Ghaziabad.
In a written complaint to the hospital’s Chief Medical Superintendent, the nurses have alleged that the six persons are walking around the ward without their trousers on and making lewd gestures towards them.
After Ghaziabad District Magistrate ordered an investigation into the matter, the police reached the MMG hospital late Thursday night and began the probe.
According to CMS Dr Ravindra Rana, the complaint alleges that six patients admitted in the isolation ward of MMG Hospital have been passing comments and resorting to unruly behaviour with nurses.
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The authorities said that these six people are those who have been recently picked up by the health department in a drive to identify persons who attended different religious congregations, including the one held at Delhi’s Nizamuddin mid-March.
“The nurses have given us in writing that the six male patients were roaming around without wearing proper clothes. They were also passing comments at the female staff and singing objectionable songs, besides demanding cigarettes from them. They have also alleged that the patients are not consuming medicines given to them and also try to come close to the staff even if they are told to stay at a distance. Also instead of maintaining social distancing, they are sitting together on the same bed and talking,” Dr Rana said.
“Based on their written complaint I forwarded a letter Thursday evening to the chief medical officer of the district and sought his intervention. A copy of the same has been sent to the local police, the district magistrate and the Ghaziabad SSP. The nurses are working hard day and night at the isolation wards to treat patients and they are very upset with the unruly behaviour shown towards them. The complaint has been submitted by six nurses,” he added.
Till Thursday evening, the health department officials identified and put under quarantine and isolation at least 136 persons who had attended different religious congregations.
Meanwhile, Ghaziabad CMO Dr NK Gupta said that he has asked police officials to take strict legal action against the six persons.
“I have spoken to the CMS of MMG Hospital and he told me about nurses and staff allegedly being harassed by six persons lodged in the isolation ward. The six are those who were recently brought to the isolation ward after they attended religious congregations,” he said.
The health department said that 90 of 136 who were recently picked up were lodged at a quarantine facility at Masuri while 35 others are at a facility at Muradnagar. Six of them are in isolation at MMG Hospital while the remaining five are at Sanjay Nagar Hospital, they added.