Covid patients roam outside Anantnag’s hospital, looking for cigarettes
Locals living around the hospital have expressed concern and shock at how freely the patients have been leaving and entering the hospital.
Bijbehara : People in Bijbehara town are worried for their safety as Covid-19 positive patients, admitted to the Covid-19 hospital located in the town, have been found roaming around “to buy cigarettes and other items.”
Bijbehara town has thus far witnessed no positive case of the novel coronavirus but the infection can easily make its way into the community, given the situation that prevails around the Covid-19 hospital designated for Anantnag district.
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Recently, the Anantnag district administration decided to convert an under-construction Trauma Hospital into the Covid-19 hospital for the district. On Monday morning, 94 positive patients were admitted to the hospital.
Locals living around the hospital have expressed concern and shock at how freely the patients have been leaving and entering the hospital.
“They have been roaming around in the market here in evening hours, searching for cigarettes sometimes or for other items,” locals told Kashmir Reader, adding that they are alarmed at the opening of the hospital in their vicinity.
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“We recently raised the issue when a senior official from the administration visited the hospital. Hope they will mend things before it is too late,” a local said.
The visiting official was Anantnag’s Chief Agriculture Officer, who has been appointed as the Chairman of the Covid-19 hospital. After hearing the complaints of locals, he wrote to higher authorities in a letter that is officially registered as CAOA/COVID-19/2020-21/100-03.
“I was told by the locals while I was leaving the hospital that a positive patient was roaming around in the market searching for cigarettes and other items. The locals have taken the issue very seriously,” the Chairman wrote.
He wrote in the letter that if such practice is left unchecked, the Covid-19 infection will certainly aggravate.
“Besides, in an earlier meeting it was decided to post some policemen at the hospital gate. It is yet to be implemented,” he wrote in the letter, a copy of which is with Kashmir reader.
Kashmir Reader talked to Bijbehara Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Jahangeer Khanday, who maintained that the issue has been taken care of.
“I visited the place today and the gates will be kept locked from now on. The gates will be guarded as well,” the SDM