Doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday seeking his intervention following reports that some landlords were forcing out doctors and other healthcare professionals over fears that they might have contracted the coronavirus at work.

Only two days ago the entire country had come together to “show solidarity” with doctors and other healthcare workers by banging utensils and clapping, responding to a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the letter the doctors said there had been several instances of healthcare professionals being ostracised and evicted by house owners in the national capital. According to reports, some Delhi residents even misbehaved with doctors and other medical staff and threatened them with consequences if they did not leave the neighbourhood at the earliest.

Sources in the ministry said the AIIMS doctors had highlighted that many doctors were now on the road along with their belongings and had nowhere to go.

A home ministry official said Shah had called up Delhi police commissioner S.N. Shrivastava and asked him to take prompt action on complaints received from healthcare professionals.

Multiple airlines’ staff have also alleged that they were being similarly harassed after they flew in Indians from other coronavirus-afflicted countries.

Earlier in the day, Union aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said he was distressed at news that some aviation professionals were being harassed by their neighbours and residents’ welfare associations.

Aviation professionals had been at the forefront of efforts to rescue fellow citizens and help contain the spread of Covid-19.

“Deeply distressed to know that some aviation professionals who have been at the forefront of India’s efforts to prevent & contain the spread of Coronavirus & even rescue fellow citizens from COVID19 around the world are being harassed by their neighbours, RWAs & others,” Puri had tweeted.

“I respect the selfless commitment & determination of our professionals & have requested concerned authorities to extend all possible help, support & protection to them & their families including to those who are in self-quarantine.”

In the evening, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the victimisation of doctors and other healthcare professionals, as well as of airlines’ personnel.

“On the request of our Prime Minister, people clapped for the services being rendered by our doctors, nurses and others. But now I am receiving information that a landlord has forcibly evicted a nurse as she has been attending to coronavirus patients,” Kejriwal said.

Some people, Kejriwal continued, are not allowing pilots and air hostesses to enter their colonies. “These people are risking their lives for us and we are behaving in this way. We should change this mindset,” Kejriwal said.

On Monday, budget carrier IndiGo had assured its employees that it would not make any deduction in their salaries or leave because of the suspension of domestic flights till March 31.