I Muhammad Kifaytullah from Plan, Bandipora, came from Dubai to Kashmir on the 30th June after months of struggle to get back home.
We were almost 170 passengers in the plane and landed at Srinagar airport. Our samples were collected by the airport authorities.
From the Airport, the authorities took us to the Tourist Reception Center in SRTC buses, for registration and were quarantined till reports came.
After a few hours, we were told that we were put under quarantine in respective districts. I was happy that I will be finally at home town and even if they put me under quarantine for 20 days, I won’t be having any issues. But Alas!
We were told that if the COVID-19 reports came negative then we can be put under home quarantine.
Following day, we were shifted to our respective districts and were put under quarantine at a local centre in the Bandipora town.
While on the way to Bandipora from, I got a call from incharge quarantine centre Mr. Nisar Ahmed Para as he was waiting for me.
Luckily, the report came negative on 1 July, and following the protocol, I approached Mr. Parra and informed him that since the report came negative and that I shall be allowed to go home for home quarantine.
Seeing the conditions of the quarantine centre, I didn’t want to be there at any cost. Also, my co-passengers came negative and they were allowed to go home, so I had no reasons to be there.
Mr. Para approached Dr. Nabeel Ishtiyaq, Nodal Officer, Bandipora that I should be allowed to go home since the report came negative.
I had strong apprehensions that if I stayed at the centre, I would fall ill because of the unhygienic atmosphere.
But, Dr. Nabeel refused to allow me to go home and said we have to follow protocol for the international passengers. They have to do a 7-day quarantine.
When I raised a point if there are other districts and out of 170 passengers, among them one person is not going to do home quarantine does it make any sense. But he didn’t listen at all and even didn’t bother to respond.
I approached almost all the officials in the administration but nobody was willing to hear my pleas. I felt suffocated.
My point was how can they treat a human like an animal? Why did they listen to my pleas? There was no doctor for my media check-up and so I didn’t know what kind of strategy was this? What kind of SOPs are being followed in the district?
I also informed them as one more flight arrived on 3rd from Dubai to Srinagar ,and on 4th July , after the report came ,they sent passengers to do home quarantine, but there was no one to answer my pleas.
I was kept at the quarantine centre for over 7 days, and every single day, I felt miserable. The quality of food was worst, pulses were served every other day.
After 7 days they allowed me to go home but didn’t issue me a discharge certificate on the same day. After repeated pleas, I had to visit myself to the hospital and got the certificate.
I don’t know how our administrations and doctors of Bandipora work, are they working for themselves or for people ?
Being abroad I saw how administration and Government officials take care of the public but here it is totally opposite. I realise here they are treating humans as animals and they don’t bother to listen and act as uneducated .
I would like to request higher authority if anyone is reading this article please look into this matter so onwards others will not face the same problem.
Muhammad Kifayatullah
R/0 Plan, Bandipora
Business development Manager, Dubai
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