Scarcity of PPEs, below par facilities across quarantine centers worrisome: Lone
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Wednesday rued the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and unsatisfactory facilities being accorded to inmates at various quarantine facilities across Kashmir saying those lodged at such facilities are aghast on the unhygienic and inhospitable conditions there.
Party’s senior leader and Member of Parliament from Baramulla Muhammad Akbar Lone while expressing dismay over the poor conditions of quarantine facilities said that the family and friends of those who have been lodged at such facilities are all aghast at the facilities being provided to them. “There are many with only few washrooms at their disposal, and what is more alarming is that the inmates are not being provided with enough PPEs. Reports about shortage of testing equipment, and other issues pertaining to absence of clean drinking water and hygienic food have also surfaced. Unfortunately, the quarantine center inmates are being treated like cattle,” he said.
He also said that the government’s failure to come up with daily bulletins on COVID-19 on a daily basis has led to misgivings in public. “Preferably the administration should have made the data pertaining to daily contaminations, quarantine facilities, hospital rush and discharges public. The lackadaisical attitude of the administration has led to churning of rumor mills. So far the attitude of the administration has only compounded the graveness of crises induced by COVID-19 pandemic. It goes without saying that the administration, run by few laidback advisors has failed to provide a rapid and coordinated public health response to contain the viral spread, reduce the mounting economic losses, provide adequate facilities to inmates at quarantine facilities,” he added.
“In the name of augmenting hospital bed capacities and other life saving equipment, the administration is publicizing photos on social media. It is not just the patients; the medics have been left to fend for themselves. Resident doctors at GMC and associated hospitals had beseeched authorities that instead of returning home, they would like to stay in hostels as a precautionary measure. Even they are not being provided proper accommodation, PPE kits, and food,” he said.
