Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 23 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said stern action will be taken against those physically targeting health workers who are at the forefront of implementing the government policies in the health sector.

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He said the government has taken note of the incidents of crime against the health workers reported in some parts of the state.

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"The perpetrators of such attacks are targeting the entire society. Therefore, stringent action will be taken against such elements," the chief minister said, inaugurating four projects worth Rs 37.61 crore in the health sector.

Vijayan's statement came a day after the Kerala High Court directed the police to pull up their socks to protect lives of COVID-warriors.

On Wednesday, the High Court, while taking cognisance of an incident in which a woman health worker was attacked in Alappuzha by two bike-borne assailants while she was returning home after duty, had said "We are not taking it as a solitary issue. We are taking note of it as the issue will have larger ramifications for the future. Time has come to put a stop to it."

The Court said where COVID warriors and their services are concerned, society has the duty to ensure they are protected and kept away from harm.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)