There seems to be no end to the miseries of Kashmiri patients stranded in different states outside J&K amid the ongoing COVID19 lockdown.
The patients as well as their attendants said though theyhave registered their names for evacuation, most of the patients were not inposition to travel by road.
Greater Kashmir received distressed emails and phone callsfrom stranded patients who said government has not so far informed them aboutarrangements made for their evacuation.
“I have had eye surgery and can’t travel by road as perthe advice by the doctors. There are other patients who have gone through surgeries.Besides, there are some specially-abled patients as well who can’t travek byroad,” said Sajad Ahmad Andrabi in an e-mail to this newspaper. “Icontacted the helpline at resident commissioner’s office Delhi and spoke tothem about my condition. They asked for my medical report which I mailed on theaddress given by them.”
He, however, said there was no clarity or furtherinformation from the J&K government whether they will airlift the patients.
“Please highlight the sufferings of patients so thatthe government becomes take necessary measures,” said another patient.
Like in Delhi, Kashmiri patients who had travelled fortreatment to different places like Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad and have gotstranded there. Some of them include cancer patients as well.
“Around 25 patients are stranded in Delhi including 12who are not in a position to travel by road,” said Jehangir Ahmad, apatient stranded in south Delhi.
He said they were running from pillar to post to getinformation about the arrangements made for patients.
“But nobody is there to help us,” he said.
Some cancer patients from J&K stranded in Mumbai saidthey have been recently discharged from the hospital but there are no plansfrom the J&K government to airlift them.
The patients were admitted in different hospitals of Mumbaito undergo chemotherapy. “Our treatment has been completed here. Nowdoctors have advised for our further treatment in Kashmir, but we continue toremain stuck here as J&K administration has not made any arrangements toairlift us,” said another patient.
The family members of these patients urged the J&Kadministration to airlift them to Valley. “Some patients are still weak due tochemotherapy and other treatments. It is not possible for us to travel byroad,” another distressed patient said.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Pole said they were looking into the matter. “We can’t make special arrangements for everyone. There are so many difficulties in it,” he said and dropped the line.
Meanwhile, a group of students stranded in Delhi accused theadministration of “cheating” them and said after registering theirnames for evacuation, they were asked by liaison officer to arrange transporton their own.
“We filled information form on higher educationdepartment portal and we were added to a WhatsApp group by liaison officerDelhi who told us to make arrangements for vehicles of our own. This was notmentioned in any of the guidelines,” said Arif.
He said they were asked they will be provided only movementpasses for vehicles. “What is the fun of establishing helpline if studentshave to arrange vehicles on their own,” he said.
He said students were suffering mentally as well asfinancially from last two months and the indifferent attitude of government wasonly adding to their miseries. “We appeal J&K administration to lookinto the matter,” Arif said.
All Ladakh Students Association Bhopal also complained oflethargic approach on part of the government for their evacuation.
They said students of Ladakh were stranded in Bhopal andMadhya Pradesh for the last two months. “We urge Ladakh administration anddistrict administration Kargil to evacuate us at earliest,” the studentssaid.