UP: Covid+ve health worker booked for alleging lack of food at Rampur centre

He has been booked under IPC sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) at Azeem Nagar police station. The police also invoked the Epidemic Disease Act and Information Technology Act.

The case has been filed on a complaint by Rampur District Hospital’s Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Rakesh Mittal. No one has been arrested so far. The ward boy’s contract had been scrapped, said Rakesh Mittal.

Rampur’s 24 coronavirus patients were initially kept in a government hospital and later shifted to the care center at Jauhar University.

As a precaution, medical examination of doctors and others, including para medical staff, was regularly being conducted. Last week, the health worker was found positive and sent to isolation, said Mittal. His family was contacted and they were also quarantined.

According to Mittal, on Friday, a video went viral in which the ward boy is purportedly heard saying that he is not keeping Ramzan fast because iftar (meal eaten after sunset) and sehri (meal eaten before sunrise) are not provided in the hospital. He is purportedly heard saying that coronavirus fears created by media are false. In another video released the next day, he is purportedly apologising for “allegations”.

Rampur District Magistrate Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said the action was taken because of irresponsible remarks about coronavirus and a false statement that he was not observing roza due to lack of food. The ward boy had initially hidden the fact that he was living with his parents, said Singh.