While some criticism may be justified, some of it may not. It is time the people themselves, the patients who are getting care in the quarantine centre, those for whom doctors, and nurses are slaving and putting themselves in danger, hold a mirror to themselves.
Some items have been found damaged at the Nesco centre in Mumbai
Mumbai is overwhelmed with the number of COVID-19 cases, and there is a very real struggle to provide facilities at different quarantine centres. Social media is awash with messages targeting the central government, the state government and the BMC’s ineptness and apparently myopic reading of the pandemic situation.
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While some criticism may be justified, some of it may not. It is time the people themselves, the patients who are getting care in the quarantine centre, those for whom doctors, and nurses are slaving and putting themselves in danger, hold a mirror to themselves.
A front-page report in this paper stated that the BMC has found patients stealing lights, bulbs, jet sprays, geysers, and even flush tanks from a COVID centre in Goregaon. The exasperated BMC also tweeted about these thefts.
An official has been quoted as saying that they are doing their best to provide facilities to people. Yet, patients who are ingrates and indulging in criminal behaviour are nicking infrastructure. In the process, they also tend to damage fittings if they cannot prise them out. This means the next patient in line must make do with damaged apparatus, till it is replaced or fixed.
This is completely abominable and shameful at a time when we see the healthcare system strained to a breaking point. It is easy to point fingers at civic authorities and conveniently look away from people indulging in despicable and unforgivable behaviour.
Signage everywhere warning of dire consequences and strictest action is needed to counter this. Security personnel may be stretched thin, so each centre needs to be fitted with top-notch surveillance cameras. Thieves need to be named and shamed in the centre itself. Those who try to make away with public property need to be jailed given the dangerous ramifications of their actions.