HYDERABAD: An embarrassing situation was created in Kohsar quarantine centre of Latifabad on Wednesday morning when 36 pilgrims — who were cleared at the quarantine centre in Sukkur after their tests — were brought to Latifabad under verbal orders of an administrative officer of Hyderabad.

All the 36 patients (out of 640), who were to be shifted to their homes in Husri, Latifabad, and other areas were brought to the Kohsar hospital, the second largest quarantine facility for Hyderabad district so far. “It caused great embarrassment to these pilgrims who have already gone through a trauma after having been diagnosed for coronavirus first on their return at Taftan border from Iran and then ending up in another quarantine centre of Latifabad again after being cleared on Wednesday. They expressed their anger over the administration as to why they were brought here again,” said a source.

Their tests in the Sukkur quarantine turned out to be negative and that was why they were allowed to go home.

The hospital management had to convince them that they were just being examined for any kind of recurrence of the symptoms before they were allowed to go home.

“ADC-I Liaquat Kalhoro had brought them to Kohsar facility under verbal orders,” said the source.

The pilgrims stayed in Kohsar hospital before they were shifted to their homes. Even the Sindh government’s focal person for coronavirus situation in Hyderabad, Sharjeel Inam Memon, was not aware of it until Wednesday night.

According to Hyderabad DC Ayesha Abro, the pilgrims were to be examined in Kohsar and message about this was conveyed to the administration at 4.30am. “We checked them for recurrence of symptoms,” said the DC.

She said that it was a slight error as it was an emergency situation. She agreed that it caused some embarrassment to the pilgrims, but it was done for their own safety.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2020