Covid-19 patients, mainly migrant workers from other states, allege that some quarantine centres in Chhattisgarh, located mainly in villages, lack basic amenities and that they don't even get food from the authorities.
Tarun Sahu, an inmate at a centre in Belsari village in Panchayat Moahdanda of Mungeli district, told ‘The Pioneer’ that he has been kept along with 20 others on a 14-day quarantine since May 9.
"We arrived from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) at Kotna on April 29. The Sukma administration kept us in quarantine till May 8. Later, they shifted us to village Belsari on May 9.”
He complained that the primary school and the Anganbadi Centre do not have electricity and window panes and described the condition of the toilets as "deplorable".
"There is only one toilet for 20 people as the one at Anganbadi Centre is locked. We arranged for an electric light by taking extension.”
“We are not given food. Our family members are serving us food. The ‘Mitanin Didi’ (Asha worker) arrive and enquire about our health. They are the only visitors,” he said.
Sarpanch Jitendra Nat, however, claimed that they were providing all arrangements to those quarantined. “Under our village panchayat, around 60 people have been kept in quarantine in different villages."
He added: “At present we are spending money on them from our pockets. The bills will be submitted soon. On Friday (May 15), the Janpad Panchayat CEO sanctioned the funds."
In village Panchayat Kirna of Mungeli district, Yogesh Kumar Verma, 31 was bitten by a snake. He was taken to the Mungeli District Hospital but due to his critical condition he was shifted to the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences at Bilaspur. On the way, he succumbed to the poison.
He and his wife had come from Pune, Maharashtra, on Friday.
On day one, they were kept at the Pandarbhtta quarantine centre and then moved to another centre in village Kirna. He was sleeping on the floor when at around 4 am the snake bit him.
The labourers say they are forced to sleep in the open as there is no fan to beat the summer heat.
In another incident, the lack of timely medical assistance to a pregnant woman kept in quarantine in Pandariya block in Kawardha district led her to lose her to be born baby on May 18.
After she developed labour pain, she was taken first to the Pandariya Community Health Centre and then to the Kawardha District Hospital but the staff did not attend to her. The child died in the womb, confirmed Dr Suresh Tiwari, the Chief Medical and Health officer of Kabeerdham.
Leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh assembly and BJP leader Dharamlal Kaushik has alleged that inmates are denied basic facilities at the quarantine centres.
The family members of those quarantined have been providing them food, not the panchayat, he said. The Panchayats have been asked to utilize the funds from the 14th Finance Commission. This is funds allocated by the Central government directly to the panchayats.
Kaushik asked: “Why is the state government creating such a hype regarding Covid-9 control in the state?"
Lormi MLA and Janta Chhattisgarh Congress (Jogi) Dharamjeet Singh said: “Where food is being provided, the quality is in question. The quarantine centres are a real shame as there are no basic amenities at many places.”
Mungeli Collector Dr Sarveshwar Bhure said around 16,000 persons have been quarantines in the district. "There are no issues at the centres," he said.