Videos of doctors getting pelted with stones are going viral online from Indore

Healthcare workers attacked in Indore, India Image Credit: Twitter

Videos of medical professionals who went into a locality in Indore, India getting pelted with stones are going viral online and netizens are furious.

According to a report by the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), a health department team on a task to pinpoint people who were reportedly infected with coronavirus in Indore's Tat Patti Bakhal area was pelted with stones.

The group comprised five people including three doctors.

Twitter account @defencealerts shared a video of one of the teammates describing the incident with the caption: “Doctor speaks about the attack on medical team in #Indore.”

"We were scared and they were throwing stones at our feet. Policemen standing nearby came to our rescue," the medical staff is heard saying.

Another Twitter user @Poorvaholics posted a clip of the attack and wrote: “I don't want to spoil your morning but this is what happening in #indore. People attacking doctors who are visiting them for sample collection 'worried face' God bless us and doctors.”

Tweep @aditi094 condemned the attack and wrote: “They were trying to protect the other residents of that locality by screening a suspected case at his/her residence. A huge risk was taken by the entire team of health officials who went and this is how they were thanked. Appalling!”

According to India-based television news channel, NDTV, Indore has 76 per cent of all coronavirus reported from the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh so far.

Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Pravin Jadia said, as reported by IANS: "Our team is working to protect people from the coronavirus infection. But people pelted stones at them. It was an unfortunate incident."

"Two women doctors somehow protected themselves by hiding in tehsildar's vehicle," added Jadia.

A complaint has been filed at Chhatripura police station. A police officer said that during the incident the protesters also broke the barricade. A case of rioting will be pursued against them. Investigating officials said lack of awareness among the people about the coronavirus infection and rumours spread on social media had led to such confrontations.

Meanwhile, Indore Deputy Inspector General of Police Hari Narayan Chari Mishra told IANS that a team from the health department had gone to the area to conduct health checks when they were attacked with stones. However, no one was hurt in the stone-pelting incident.

"The police have registered a case against 'unknown people' and are looking for them," Mishra said.