Quarantined NRIs allege negligence by Amritsar Health Department

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 14

As many as 17 passengers from the UK and other countries, who were tested positive for Covid-19 at Shri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, were not allowed to go their home districts during the past four days. The health authorities have kept 10 NRIs under quarantine at a local hotel on the Railway road for the past four days. According to the health officials, seven more patients have been quarantined today.

The patients were demanding to shift them to their home districts but the authorities didn’t allow.

The employees of district administration, who left the passengers at hotels, had reportedly assured the patients that they may leave the hotel after three days.

Manjit Kaur, a patient from Jalandhar, who returned from the UK said, “No one from the Health Department has visited the hospital for the past four days. They had assured to conduct test after three days and allow us to go home. But no one even visited to us.”

Assistant Civil Surgeon Amarjit Singh said, “In a meeting with district authorities, it was proposed to allow the passengers go their home towns but no decision has been taken in this regard yet. The patients quarantined in hotels are misguided about the guidelines. They will be allowed to go home after seven days. In case someone tested negative in the meantime he or she may go home.” The health officials claimed that most of the NRI passangers don’t agree to admit in government hospitals. So we accommodate them in the local hostel.

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