Inmates in quarantine homes decry ‘poor’ arrangements

The travelers who returned to Kashmir from abroad alleged that they were getting ill treatment at the quarantine homes.

The administration has been putting the travelers visitingfrom abroad in different quarantine centres after landing in Valley for pasttwo days. However, the student and elderly travelers alleged that they werebeing treated as “prisoners” and were not being provided the “requiredfacilities”.

   

“I landed in the Valley on Friday and was not put to anytest at the Airport. But in the evening an ambulance came to my residence andtold me that some tests need to be done without informing me that I am to bequarantined,” said a traveler who has been shifted to a quarantine centre onSrinagar outskirts.

“I was dropped in this building at 10 pm and was told that Ihave been quarantined. But believe me there are not even the basic minimumfacilities available here,” he said.

The Srinagar administration has set up various quarantinehomes for the students and other citizens who returned from outside states andforeign countries. The travelers are shifted to the centres as a preventivemeasure.

“The building is untidy with dead flies lying on my bed. Theroom is dirty, the flush tank out of order and the commode is filthy,” he said.

“Somebody here arranged dinner for me, which was poor inquality and unhygienic,” a 60 year old said.

He said no doctors visited the quarantine centre. “I am60-year old man but no doctor came here even to check by BP. The quarantinecentre is surrounded by police personnel but no doctor is available here,” hesaid.

“We don’t demand 5-star accommodation but want a room withbare minimum facilities or allow us to go for home quarantine,” he said.

A group of female students who have returned from Bangladeshalso complained that they are not being quarantined properly which has exposedthem to risk.

“We don’t have any symptoms of COVID-19 but we haveapprehensions to get malaria infection. For last two days, no doctor visitedhere to collect test samples besides we are deprived of basic facilities,” afemale student said.

The students said the quarantine centres are unhygienic withno heating facility. “To put in quarantine home means to give basic facilitieslike hand sanitizer and other facilities. But the administration provided usnothing,” the students said.

The quarantine centres are filled with dust as no sweepersare available to clean the rooms, the students said.

Meanwhile, a separate group of over 150 students who landedin Kashmir from Bangladesh on Saturday said they were made to spend day in SRTCbuses after they were shifted from Srinagar Airport.

“No tests were conducted at the Airport and we were asked tofile a declaration form. After spending three hours at the Airport in SRTCbuses, we are now shifted to city centre,” a student said.

The students complained to Greater Kashmir in evening thatthey were not provided any accommodation to remain in quarantine. “We weregetting better facilities in Bangladesh than this. We are ferried in buses fromone lane to another lane,” the students said.

Meanwhile, the Srinagar District Administration informedthat around 255 more persons arrived in Srinagar from Bangladesh and othercountries.

“The persons have been isolated to undergo quarantine as apreventive measure. It is notable that 50 well-equipped quarantine facilitieshave been set up in the district,” it informed.

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Polesaid all the students who returned from Bangladesh will get accommodated inquarantine facilities. “They will get adjusted as we are looking foraccommodation. The complaints of poor facilities at other quarantine centreswill also be looked into,” Pole said.

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