Mumbai: Helping a neighbour gets man stuck in quarantine centre

Helping a COVID-19 positive neighbour get admitted to a hospital did not augur well for Bhayandar resident Vinod Yadav, 50, as the woman was discharged after treatment, but he is stuck in a quarantine centre, allegedly without being tested. He has been there for almost a week.

Yadav, a tile installer, said he had started work after three months and his family is dependent on him. But since June 10 he has been 'locked up' at the quarantine centre in New Golden Nest building at Bhayandar East.

Yadav said, "On June 5 my neighbour was having trouble breathing and showed symptoms of novel Coronavirus. I called the Tembha hospital and was told to admit her there. I got her into an autorickshaw and got into another myself. I didn't even enter the premises of the hospital. After reaching the hospital I informed a doctor and some doctors took her inside."

"On June 7 the woman's report was found positive for COVID-19. On June 10, I received a call from a Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) officer saying I would also have to do a check up for COVID-19 and was told to come to the New Golden Nest quarantine centre. But when I came here, they locked me in a room. I told them to do a check up but they just said for 14 days I have to stay in this room and not go outside. I have not been tested. The woman was discharged on June 12," said Yadav. The woman's five relatives including her husband are still in the same quarantine centre.

Yadav said he gets food regularly at the centre but is worried about whether his family in their village have something to eat. "Only when I earn money can I send some to them. I have two kids, Santosh, 12 and Chandan, 8, wife Sunita Devi and my parents in my family. They are dependent on me. I helped the woman as humanity but MBMC are not helping me," Yadav said helplessly.

Corporator speak
"We are only quarantining relatives of COVID-19 patients. We don't quarantine other people who don't have symptoms. Yadav must have said he's a relative when he got her for admission. He must give an explanation that he is not the woman's relative, then he will be released," said corporator Geeta Jain, who was instrumental in setting up the quarantine centre.

10 June
Day since when Vinod Yadav is at the quarantine centre

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