At least 15 cancer patients from Kashmir who are stranded in Mumbai for the past few weeks have appealed the authorities for their evacuation.
The patients had been admitted to different hospitals inMumbai to undergo treatment. “We have completed the chemo therapy treatment.Now, for further treatment we have been advised by the hospitals to return toKashmir, but we are stranded here due to lockdown,” a distressed patient said.
“Some of us (patients) are still weak due to chemotherapyand other procedures. It is not possible for us to stay at lodges or rentedplaces owing to fear of catching coronavirus or other infections,” anotherpatient said, adding the hospital bills were also shooting up which was a causeof worry for them.
Greater Kashmir received several emails and calls from thefamily members of these patients urging the J&K administration to evacuatetheir kin.
Some of the patients accompanied by their attendants saidthey were also running short of money due to which their survival has becomedifficult. “We have some people with us who are running out of money. Pleaseinform the respective authority to arrange ambulance or airlift the strandedpassengers,” the stranded patients appealed to the J&K administration.
Meanwhile,around 300 Kashmiri students stranded at Rajasthan for past one month aregetting edgy as there seems to be no headway in their evacuation to Valley.
As, already reported by Greater Kashmir, the students havecompleted their quarantine period two weeks ago and tested negative forCOVID19. Yet no arrangements were being made by the authorities to get themback to Valley, the students alleged.
The students, traders, labourers and hundreds of familiesare also stranded in many states. Some of the families stranded in Delhi urgedthe administration to allow them to travel by road.
“We have our own cars available with us. We urge the J&Kadministration to take up the matter with Delhi government and allow us totravel home,” a family member said.
The students stranded at Kota, Rajasthan also appealed fortheir evacuation saying that the number of COVID19 positive cases in Kota wasrising with each passing day which has left them in a state of mental trauma.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, PandurangKondbarao Polesaid they were trying to evacuate students and families who were out of theirhomes. “There are a large number of people stranded out of their homes. Thenumber is huge but we are still trying (to shift them back home),” he said.