It’s fair to say that healthcare workers don’t have the easiest of jobs during this pandemic, but in the Indonesian city of Surabaya one worker was put in a literally sticky situation when he encountered resistance while picking up a patient.
According to the Surabaya city administration, on Sept. 23, the city conducted swab tests for residents of an apartment complex. The results came out on Sept. 28, which included a possible coronavirus infection for an unnamed male resident who suffers from underlying health conditions.
On Sept. 29, healthcare workers in full PPE went to the apartment complex to pick up the patient, but they encountered resistance from his wife and children.
“They kept resisting, and then they did that (smeared excrement) on the healthcare worker’s hazmat suit,” Surabaya city administration spokesman Febriadhitya Prajatara said yesterday.
Febri did not explain the origin of the excrement nor how or when it was obtained.
The patient’s family eventually gave in and allowed for his transportation to the hospital. Officials also conducted swab tests on the family, the results of which should be available in a few days.
Despite the horror, no one was criminally charged in this incident.
“This is for the greater good, so we can break the chain of the disease. The disease should not be a source of shame,” Febri said.
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