Srinagar: A 10-year-old boy, who had hugged a Tableegi Jamaat member from Bemina in a local Masjid at Eidgah on March 23, has been put under home isolation after showing symptoms of COVID -19.
His family moved from pillar to post, dialed all help line numbers, took him to SMHS, Chest Disease hospital, JLNM and also SKIMS Soura, where doctors at the end told boy’s family to put him under home quarantine instead of taking his samples.
“On March 23, our son came in contact with a person, a resident of Bemina area of Srinagar, who was part of Tableegi Jammat, and was camping in Shaheed-e-Milat Masjid at Eidgah. My son hugged and shaked hands with this Tableegi Jamaat man from Bemina, who tested positive recently,” the boy’s father told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) over phone.
He told KINS that since March 23, his son showed no symptoms and on March 28, he showed symptoms like cough and high fever.
The boy was shifted to SMHS, where doctors mentioned in the prescription that “handshake with Covid-19 positive case” refer to CD hospital. Ironically, when the boy was taken to CD hospital, the doctors referred him to Jawhar Lal Nehru Memorial hospital Rainawari.
The prescription of CD hospital while verifying the boy has had a handshake with the COVID-19 positive case, reads: “due to non-availability of the beds, we are referring the patient to JLNM Rainawari…Advice—Covid screening.”
At JLNM, the patient is referred to SKIMS for screening. According to family members, at SKIMS, doctors told them to keep the boy under home isolation. “Patient asymptomatic. Two weeks home quarantine, wash hands, maintain hygiene,” reads SKIMS prescription.
“Our son is under stress as he often says why nobody goes closer to him. We wonder why our son wasn’t tested for COVID -19. I urge the health department to send a team and take samples of my son before it is too late,” said boy’s father.
He said that since the news that the boy has been put under home quarantine has spread in the area, the Shaheed-e-Milat Masjid where the boy came in contact with the positive case of Tableegi Jamaat, has been locked and no one even goes there to give prayer call (Azaan). “I request Health Department and those at the helm, to send teams to my house and take samples of my son for Covid-19 testing,” the father said.
Meanwhile authorities said they will look into the matter.(KINS)
