Nihad Amani and Mohammed Hussain
Hyderabad: Charminar Dawakhana (Government Nizamia General Hospital–Unani) has been dedicated to house Indian and foreign coronavirus victims. Their numbers as of Thursday evening stood at 120. They were brought to this hospital by the Police and GHMC from across the city.
In Telangana, nine persons have died of coronavirus so far of which six are those who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi.
Sources at the hospital said the patients include people from Iran, Malaysia and Delhi. Most of these persons are the ones who had participated in the congregation held at a mosque in Nizamuddin, Delhi.
Only three of these patients are women.
Charminar Dawakhana has been dedicated as Level One COVID-19 ward.
“Blood samples have been collected. All the patients are quarantined for 14 days. If any of them is found with positive symptoms for coronavirus they would be immediately shifted to the Gandhi Hospital,” sources said.
No visitors or attendees are being allowed to visit the persons under observation.
“It’s crazy to drag us here. I came to the city on March 18 and it is already 14 days. Luckily I have shown no symptoms of the disease. I have followed the self-quarantine protocols. Keeping a person like me is insane. There are no proper fans and lights. I being held against my will with others who may have COVID- 19. The authorities have put my life at risk,” stated an MBBS student who went to Delhi to meet his sister. He was not part of the Jamaat.
Several others who have been brought to Charminar Dawakhana claimed that they have no symptoms of the infection. They are repeatedly entering into an argument with hospital staff and the police demanding to know why they were being made to undergo another spell of quarantine.
A police picket has been posted at the hospital.
Hospital staff, on the other hand, said that there is need to post additional police personnel at every ward.
“It is not possible for medical staff to hold back the persons who have been brought here. Many of them are trying to escape from the hospital. Some of may succeed in running away from the hospital premises,” the staff said.