How the chain of COVID-19 strengthens day by day in Kashmir

SRINAGAR — On 24 March, members of a Tablighi Jamaat organized a religious event at Shaheed-e-Millat Masjid here in Eidgah area of Srinagar. A large number of people attended this congregation. Some of the members of this Tablighi Jamaat who have already been declared COVID-19 positive stayed for three days at the mosque, located at Rathpora Eidgah.

A boy (name withheld) barely 10 years of age attended this religious event along with his father Munir Ahmed Sofi. The excited boy hugged some of the preachers. As he reached home, he showed symptoms of Coronavirus. He had high viral load with runny nose.

The family members took him to SMHS Hospital Srinagar on March 28 and on the same day, the hospital authorities referred him to Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar in an ambulance that was provided by the SMHS Hospital.

Citing non-availability of the bed as the main reason, doctors at CD Hospital referred this 10-year-old boy to JLNM Hospital Rainawari on the very same day. The irony is that the hospital didn’t provide any ambulance, as a result, the father of the patient called his brother-in-law who arranged a private vehicle and ferried the COVID-19 suspect in that vehicle from CD Hospital to Rainawari Hospital. The sheer negligence of the hospital strengthened the Coronavirus chain and after father, now the maternal uncle of the boy got involved in the chain.

Relatives of the boy said that at JLNM Rainawari Hospital, there was ruckus and no medico was available there and the family on the very same day rushed the boy back to SMHS Hospital. “The boy was thoroughly examined and the matter was discussed with the Principal and the Registrar. Being a strong suspected case, the doctors at SMHS Hospital referred the boy to SKIMS, even writing on the hospital ticket that it is a critical COVID-19 case. Ironically, SKIMS advised the family to quarantine the boy for three days at home citing non-availability of bed as the reason. This happened on March 28.”

The family brought the boy to home and he was quarantined on 3rd floor of the house. “Despite Coronavirus scare, the mother’s love didn’t diminish and she took care of the boy in the room. The boy remained in the home and obviously came into contact with others. When the condition of the boy deteriorated, a local leader from the area, Imtiyaz Ahmed requested Baseer Khan, the Advisor to Lieutenant Governor to intervene. It was on the directions of Khan, that a medical team contacted the family and he was shifted to SKIMS on March 30 and on March 31 he was declared positive for Coronavirus,” the relatives said.

“When SKIMS knew it was a strong suspected case and even SMHS had already declared it to be so, why then was the boy allowed to go home. Same negligence occurred in the case of the first deceased COVID-19 patient,” the relatives questioned.

Another confirmed case from Goripora Eidgah of Srinagar city shows negligence both on the part of government and the infected person. A man from Goripora Eidgah arrived home from outside State on March 13. He was neither screened nor taken to quarantine centre. “From 13 March to 29 March, this man roamed freely in Srinagar, especially in Eidgah area. He offered five times prayers in the local mosque and came into contact with hundreds of people,” said a local.

As the authorities tightened its noose on those concealing travel histories, the man went to SKIMS where he was declared positive for COVID-19. “Imagine the chain this person might have created.”

Similarly, a youth from Bemina Srinagar after arriving in Valley, stayed at home without self reporting. This youth, who was declared positive for COVID-19 infection on March 27, infected not only his brother but his mother too and today the mother-son duo was tested positive. Authorities have quarantined all the family members of the youth and also some of the neighbouring families.

Well placed sources said that a youth from Soibugh Budgam who also had attended a religious event outside Jammu and Kashmir, didn’t quarantine himself. He was yesterday declared positive and today, one of the persons, who had come into his contact, was also declared positive.

“You can’t break this chain unless you show some sense of responsibility. Avoid people whom you know or don’t know these days. A contact with unknown infected person can land you in the hospital. It is very important to keep yourself aloof from society and stay at home,” said a medico.