Manhandling medics.

REPORTS that members of the public are resorting to ransacking hospitals and beating up medical workers are extremely worrying. Multiple incidents of individuals assaulting staff at hospitals have surfaced. In the first, attendants and relatives of a patient at Karachi's JPMC vandalised the coronavirus isolation ward after being refused permission to take the deceased patient's body home. In a second incident at the same hospital, a doctor was attacked by relatives of a patient thought to be infected by the coronavirus and who passed away after being brought in with a cough and shortness of breath. More recently, a group of unruly youths went on the rampage at the Red Crescent Hospital in Hyderabad after being asked to observe the government-prescribed SOPs while entering and staying in the health facility. They roughed up several staff members and caused extensive damage to the hospital's property after being told to wear face masks. Fortunately, police arrived at the hospital while the rampage was still going on and managed to arrest four suspects.

These incidents are alarming. Just like in other countries, doctors and medical staff in Pakistan are on the front line and are essential to the battle being fought against the pandemic. With full knowledge of the potentially fatal nature of the coronavirus and its high rate of transmission, these professionals are putting...