The spreading of COVID-19 rumours has led to two separate incidents of fighting at Butibam, Morobe Province.
One of the families involved were the ones who were disputing that their loved one did not die from COVID-19.
The woman who passed away on March 18th at the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital was a regular patient since 2016 as she had high blood pressure and also suffered back aches.
Her grieving husband told media that she was having intense back pains when they rushed her to the emergency department at 6am and waited until 10am to be served. As she was having shortness of breath, she was swabbed and her sample taken for testing while patients around her were told to move away.
She passed away a short while later.
Though the husband had provided his contact details, he was not contacted directly when the test result was received. Instead, another health worker from a different department was advised to relay the message as she also lives at Butibam.
Word spread like wildfire throughout the village before the aggrieved family were notified of the cause of death.
With even their own families and relatives refusing to attend the haus krai, the immediate family buried their matriarch in a small, solemn ceremony on Saturday.
While she was laid to rest, rumours and misinformation spread along the 13A route of Bumbu, Chinatown, Butibam, Hanta and Malahang, where the family was discriminated against.
Villagers would quickly move away when sighting a member of the family, or hastily put on their masks when passing them.
In frustration, youths of the affected area confronted another nearby household whom they believed was spreading malicious untruths. A fight ensued on the night of Tuesday, March 23rd.
The following morning (March 24th), the other group went to the haus krai and retaliated.
Both groups went to lay complaints at the Chinatown Police Station soon after.
The chief executive officer of the Morobe Provincial Health Authority was advised of the situation prior to the confrontations.
During a press briefing on Monday, Dr Kipas Binga was asked on whether there was a code of ethics, especially when it comes to doctor-patient confidentiality.
“There always been a code of ethics but it depends on individual people,” he told Lae media.
“Everybody who signs up to be a medical person there’s always confidentiality. You being a nurse or a doctor, this is part of what you do when you sign up, you sign up for those things.
“But again, it goes back to the individuals on how they honour that commitment. It’s a free country, you cannot force people to do this or that.”
(The Emergency Department at the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital)