Babbu Khan
SOPORE, May 23 (KINS): In the last one week, at least three COVID patients were sent home in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, risking the lives of people.
The latest case of alleged negligence of the district administration Baramulla is when a patient was declared positive for novel coronavirus. However a day after he was allowed to go home by administration after testing “negative” for COVID-19 and was later told he is positive.
A patient (name withheld) who appeared in a video available with news agency KINS, claimed to have tested positive for novel coronavirus on May 4 after which he was put in an isolation centre for recovery.
In a video, he says that after remaining in isolation till May 18, a test was carried some days ago which turned negative for COVID. He was discharged along with a negative certificate in the presence of officials from the administration and medical staff who dropped him at his home.
“After spending a night at home I was informed that I am positive for coronavirus again and I have to return back for the treatment,” he said in the video.
He said, “It is a total failure and negligence on part of the administration and medical authorities who after declaring me negative and then told I am COVID-19 after spending a night at home.”
Block Medical Officer Sopore Dr. Asif Khandey told news agency KINS said they were working as per health guidelines.
“As per new health guidelines if an asymptomatic patient who doesn’t have a symptom has to be kept for 10 days at the hospital after that a patient has to be discharged for home isolation without performing a test so that for more 14 days he will be at home isolation,” he claimed.
He said this is a new disease and everyone has to follow the guidelines and instructions of the authorities. Dr. Asif further said that “we have to live now with masks and other precautionary things”.
Earlier this week two such cases were reported from Baramulla town. In one case a 40-year-old man who was kept under official quarantine at Baramulla town was discharged on last Monday morning after being declared negative for COVID-19. Then he was told by the administration to immediately return to the quarantine facility citing that his test has come positive for the same disease.
In other case a person from Handwara was discharged from a COVID-19 quarantine centre after declaring him negative for the disease. However, the officials rushed to put him in isolation after his test reports came positive for the deadly disease.
“These cases are typical examples of official negligence which has put lives of many others in the quarantine centre at risk in addition to the family members of the said persons,” opined a doctor at District Hospital Baramulla on the condition of anonymity. (KINS)
