Quarantine centers in Jharkhand don’t much care for guidelines in villages.
By Swati Ekka
Jamshedpur ||April 14, 2020
Dusty windows, Unclean rooms, lack of potable drinking water and security facilities are a sight at the quarantine centers set up at the outskirts of East Singhbhum district in Jharkhand.
The quarantine center, set up in Panchayat Bhawan of Salgajhari village near Purvi Kalimati road, Parsudhi, is not enforcing the guidelines strictly, for quarantine facilities COVID-19 given by the National Centre for Disease Control.
“I always cross this area for work and have noticed the new quarantine center, but it’s not properly maintained. There is dust all around — the tables, beds and near window slabs. There are no properly covered bins in the center. All this should be maintained, if in case any suspected cases come up it will be difficult for that person to stay there,” said Devnarayan, a local driver.
Parmila Munda, head of Panchayat Bhawan said, “We have set up five beds in the Bhawan hall. I have also arranged for hand sanitizers, masks and other things to clean the quarantine center. We will organize the facilities for people if we get any suspected case. As of now, no coronavirus cases have come up.”
In Jharkhand, overall, 22 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed. The local residents of the village are wary and concerned about the hygiene of the center amidst the rising cases of coronavirus.
Ankita Gosh, a resident of Parsudih, Jamshedpur said, “If this is the condition of the quarantine center then it will be very difficult for people to survive there. Cleanliness is the basic facility that should be maintained. All the facilities like security and waste disposal should be maintained before any case is found. There are no facilities for providing hot water too. Many people who are kept in the Isolation center try to run so the security should be there for 24 hours every day ”
Newton Tirkey, doctor at a government hospital said, “All these guidelines are given by the government so that quarantine centers are properly set up and the threat of spreading the virus is reduced. If the facilities in the isolation centers are properly maintained then the suspected people will isolate themself in the centers rather than running or hiding somewhere. Many quarantine centers lack biosecurity kits also. All the guidelines should be followed beforehand so that when the person is found all the facilities are accessible and the spread of the virus is contained.”