A 44-year-old woman, who was sent to a quarantine centre in IT Park of Mumbai University in Kalina, was shifted to this facility even after testing negative for Covid-19.
Amid an upsurge in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued fresh Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for housing societies in Mumbai. According to these guidelines, everyone in society premises must wear a mask and outsiders will not get direct entry in society premises.
However, amidst issuing new guidelines, the BMC has itself failed to take care of Mumbaikars in isolation/quarantine centres. Mumbai is recording the highest number of coronavirus cases along with highest testing in a day. On the one hand, there is a lack of beds for patients at hospitals and quarantine centres, and, on the other hand, people who have tested negative for coronavirus are also being kept in the quarantine centres.
More than three females tested Covid-19 negative, but were asked to quarantine themselves. On the basis of rapid antigen test results, these ladies were shifted to the IT Park quarantine centre.
Pooja Shinde, who tested negative in her RT-PCR test, was also sent to this centre for isolation. Pooja Shinde ‹s reports came negative, but just because she did have the test results on mail or in hand, she was at the isolation center along with Covid-19 positive patients for six days.
A 60-year-plus senior citizen was shifted to the quarantine centre after she tested positive for Covid-19. However, talking about the facilities, she said, “There is no cleanliness, the food items are not edible; in fact, even the dogs will not eat the food which the patients are eating here.”
Complaining about the facilities, another patient said: “Sanitisation is not happening properly, doctors just check our body temperature and do not even provide vitamin capsules. The same washrooms are used by more than 40 women here. Washrooms are not in a good condition and are not at all hygienic.”
Looking at the situation and spike in coronavirus cases in Mumbai, if the BMC repeats such mistakes of keeping Covid negative people among Covid positive patients, then the risk will increase with time. People’s lives will be in danger.
Delay in shifting positive patients from quarantine centres to isolation facilities, puts other people in quarantine at risk of contracting the infection. On the other hand, if negative people are kept in quarantine centres, they will also get infected. It also could lead to the emergence of new clusters of the coronavirus from such centres.
After being informed about the situation at the quarantine centre at IT Park, Alka Sasane, ward officer of H-East ward, said, «We will inform the team present at the centre and ensure immediate assistance to patients.»
As per BMC, any asymptomatic positive patient in home isolation shall not move out of his/her flat. An FIR shall be filed by ward officials against violators. But what action will be taken against those putting Covid-19 negative patients at risk in quarantine centres, is still a big question.
The new guidelines are in addition to the ongoing strict Covid-19 measures which include statewide night curfew and weekend lockdown announced by the Maharashtra government on Sunday, the civic body said.
Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis has urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to revise the restrictions in consultation with the aggrieved stakeholders. “Stopping the pandemic is paramount, but man-made reasons shouldn’t impact the very existence of the people. Urgent steps need to be taken,” said the ex-CM.
While addressing the state CM Uddhav Thackeray has mentioned that people should follow all the guidelines as he doesn’t want Maharashtra to be the worst Covid affected state. Earlier, he said that if people break rules, they should be prepared for a lockdown.
The city has witnessed over 10,000 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Mumbai is one of the top three cities in Maharashtra to register the highest number of Covid-19 cases.