THRISSUR: Health department officials here had to remind a China-returned MBBS student a legal provision to make her shift to a hospital from home.The 23-year-old woman, who returned from China where she has been studying, was found running mild temperature, but preferred prayers to medical treatment—based on her religious belief—to cure her condition.The young woman preferred staying home even after another student from the district had tested positive for novel coronavirus. She refused to follow the medical protocol, and did not report to health officials.Officials tracking those who had returned from China, found the woman missing. When contacted over the phone, she refused to follow the protocol, but expressed confidence in prayers to keep her safe.The officials rushed to her home in the city corporation limits. Meanwhile, a new-generation bank where her mother has been working, sent the older woman home on knowing of her daughter’s condition.Officials said the student and her family relented after about three hours of counselling and persuasion on Friday. During the counselling, officials reminded her of the legal provision that could lead to her arrest if she still rejected the protocol.“Anyone refusing treatment can be arrested under the provisions of the disaster management mitigation,” district collector S Shanavas said on Saturday. Section 269 of the Indian Penal Code also envisages imprisonment to those who “unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.”Agriculture minister V S Sunilkumar confirmed the incident: “The student's blood sample was sent for examination on Friday itself after the girl was shifted to the isolation ward of the Thrissur Medical College Hospital.”Her family members have been kept under home quarantine.Dr K P Aravindan of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad recommended stringent action against those refusing to cooperate.