Girl quarantined at Civil Hospital questions treatment, “We are taking good care,” replies DC Cachar 

A Facebook post from a Silchar-girl is doing rounds in social media for the last couple of days. The girl shares the pain she is going through and how the administration is behaving in an irresponsible manner. On March 31, 2020, officials from the urban health department, Cachar reached her doorsteps and asked her, and her parents to accompany them for a swab test. In her series of posts, she writes about the inhumane treatment she and her family had to suffer, first at Silchar Medical College and Hospital and then Civil Hospital Silchar.

The girl writes that they were told the procedure will take around 8 hours, however, it is now April 3, 2020, and they are still in the hospital. After spending a night at SMCH, where their samples were collected for tests, they were shifted to Civil Hospital. The girl, who is at Silchar Civil Hospital with her parents posted that they do not have adequate drinking water, the condition is not hygienic and there is no one serving food, instead, it is just being dumped outside the door.

The series of posts from her, that also includes some images have raised many eyebrows. The Covid19 patients or the ones suspected to be infected by the virus outbreak are not criminals or antisocials to be dealt with in a manner that is improper or inhumane. People used social media to question the district administration and criticised the arrangements. At the same time, as the girl and her family had a history of traveling to New Delhi, netizens did not hesitate before generalising. The girl’s post got heavily criticised too and many went on to abuse her, and her demands of a clean hygienic environment and proper food.

 

 

Speaking to Barak Bulletin, the girl said that she has no clarity about how many days she would have to spend at the quarantine ward of Silchar Civil Hospital. She said she is running short of clothes as they were told they will be free within 24 hours. She is a student studying at an institution in the Delhi-NCR region and her parents had gone to Delhi to help her shift to her residence. She informs that none of them visited the meeting organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi. That meeting has emerged as a viral vector in India and all 20 Covid19 positive cases in Assam visited the event. “We did not go there, although my mother’s number was in the list of people traced by the government of India,” informs the Girl.

The District Health Department officials rubbished her allegations and said before questioning the administration people should realise that by doing so they are insulting the staff working at Civil Hospital and Silchar Medical College and Hospital. “The washrooms are cleaned, as usual. Food is served as per schedule to each and every individual. We do not keep it on the floor but hand it over to the patients. Each patient have their phones, why aren’t we getting more complaints?” argued the official.

Speaking with Barak Bulletin the deputy commissioner of Cachar Barnali Sharma also reiterated that the individuals in the quarantine ward are looked after well. She said, “We are taking good care of them.” Sharma added, “Distribution of breakfast and drinking water is done at SMDCH for the persons kept in Quarantine. In addition, 2 litres mineral water bottles (1 ltr each) are served every day.”

Sharing more details about the girl, DC Cachar said, “Her presence was found at Nizamuddin by mobile tracing.” The other day, Health Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma mentioned the list shared by the Central Government includes name many individuals who did not visit the meeting organised by Tablighi Jamaat. He explained that the list has been prepared by tracing mobile numbers of people who were in that area and that is why people who did not visit the Markaz have also made it to the list.

As per the girl, there are 17 individuals in the quarantine ward along with her. About them, Deputy commissioner, Barnali Sharma added, “All others are contact persons, family members of the Tablighi Jamat meeting list.” Sharma informed, “So, as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Health Department, Hospital Quarantine is a must for 14 days.”

Which makes it clear, that the girl and the family will have to stay at the ward in Silchar Civil Hospital. Himanta Biswa Sarma shared it time and again that this disease does not have any stigma attached to it and one must not think twice before disclosing their travel history.

In fact, last night, Himanta Biswa Sarma went to Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati where the family members of Tablighi Jamaat’s meeting-attendees and the individuals who have come in contact with them are kept in quarantine. From there he twitted, “Family members of attendees of #TablighiJamaat congregation at #NizamuddinMarkaz need to be urgently quarantined. We brought them to Sarusojai Sports Complex and I was personally present to ward off any fear among them. To fight #COVID19Pandemic important to quarantine them.”

The girl said not a single representative from the administration nor any lawmaker tried to comfort them. Now it remains to be seen if the elected representatives of Barak Valley take the cue from Himanta Biswa Sarma and make some efforts to ward off fear among the people under quarantine. It is important as such posts sharing horrific experiences can make others fearful to disclose their symptoms which will then give the pandemic a dangerous shape.