Vikas Sharma
Jammu: Though the government has created 35000 Quarantine facilities across J&K UT, with over 35000 beds in Jammu (6500), Srinagar (10000) and individual districts (1000 each) spread over large locations, people placed under administrative quarantine in summer capital are facing hardship as the main quarantine centre in Jammu at MA stadium lacks basic facilities.
Worthy to mention here that, atleast 40 people with travel history from other parts of the country are presently placed under Administrative quarantine here at MA Stadium centre.
Meanwhile, the unhygienic or inhospitable conditions at this centre became viral on social media sites as people shot videos and started uploading them to highlight the collective plight, but all in vain, as the authorities at the helm responsible for providing facilities at the quarantine centre have miserably failed to fulfill their duties, in blatant violations of the guidelines issued by the MHA for maintenance and facilities at quarantine centres.
“For 40 individuals there are only three washrooms but with no water facility for regular usage, the arrangement has become more of a curse than the facility. The administration is supposed to provide facility for proper sanitization but we are not even provided with the drinking water facility” said Sultan Salluddin – one of the person placed under isolation.
“Non availability of basic amenities in this quarantine centre is major issue of concern as in this way we cannot contain coronavirus, and will get more cases,” he added.
Pertinently, the quarantine centre at MA stadium has been in news for wrong reasons lately, as the people placed under isolation here has been complaining about poor arrangements, unhealthy food coupled with lack of basic hygienic at the centre.
People have alleged that they are provided the food through a private cater, who is least bothered about any quality check of this food and there is no one to keep a check over the quality of food provided to the people placed here.
“Food is very unhygienic, drinking water facility is also unavailable, and no medical team came to attend us,” alleged Richa Gupta, a passenger from New Delhi. “We were brought up here in this quarantine centre without maintaining the norms set under social distancing and are placed here since past 4 days. That was really a harrowing experiencing for me,” she asserted.
Rajinder Sharma, a govt employee from Haryana, echoed the similar complaints and slammed the authorities for inadequate facilities. He alleged that the administration is putting the people under quarantine randomly but in the name of facilities there is nothing. Persons, put up at MAM Stadium further appeal the authorities to immediately inspect and monitor arrangements in this quarantine Centres in view of the protests and complaints from various quarters.
“There are numerous complaints and protests over lack of necessities and basic facilities in this quarantine Centre, which can aggravate the situation further if the matter is not resolved earliest,” said Mahima Verma, a resident of Bahu-Fort area. “The administration has failed to deal with the issue in an organized manner, as the result people placed here for quarantine are suffering a lot,” she added.
