SHILLONG: To protect the COVID-19 patients from possible stigmatisation, the Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) – Shillong Circle has asked the state government to intimate the names of the infected patients to the respective Dorbar Shnong (village assemblies) only and not the public.
The Union had earlier asserted that disclosing the infected patients’ names would pave way for effective contact tracing.
While citing instances of abusive and discriminative behavior towards the COVID-19 patients and medical staffs in many parts of the country, the Union maintained that it does not want the patients to become victims of discrimination and stigmatisation with their names made known to the public.
The JSU observed that with the help of the village assemblies, the government would be able to contain and control the spread of COVID more effectively.
It called for close coordination of the state government and Dorbars to arrest any potential community transmission.
Concerned about some villages and communities who may have been exposed to the disease, the Union has urged the government to conduct PCR swab tests at the earliest.
The Union, while reminding the public of their duties as a responsible citizen towards the frontline workers, said that they should refrain from unwanted activities and embrace those that lead the fight against COVID-19 and asked the residents not to resort to discrimination. Meanwhile, it lauded the initiative of the government to place the frontline workers such as the ANM and ASHA workers to spread the much-needed awareness through the ‘Behaviour Change Management Committee’.
