CHINIOT: As many as 23 asymptomatic Covid-19 patients who were shifted to the General Hospital Faisalabad from the quarantine centre set up on FAST University local camps complained about lack of even basic facilities and services at the hospital’s corona ward.

These patients, including women and children, were shifted to the FAST campus after they tested positive for coronavirus some 10 days back. They were told on Sunday to pack up their belongings as they were being to Faisalabad as the campus centre was being vacated to house expats returning from abroad.

Some of them told their relatives on phone that after being shifted to the General Hospital, which was declared a dedicated facility for Covid-19 patients by the health department, all the patients were stuffed in a ward having only two toilets without any partition for men and women.

One of the patients, Amjad Ali, said when the patients protested lack of space and facilities, the hospital staff locked the wards entrance and went away, leaving them without any provisions, including drinking water and milk for the children.

“We remained hungry and thirsty for all the day and could not have even milk for children,” he said, adding that the hospital was meant for treatment of symptomatic

and serious Covid-19 patients. “We should be shifted to the quarantine centre in Chiniot or the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital there”, he demanded.

He said the patients and their children were provided food of their choice, besides other facilities at the spacious quarantine centre at Chiniot.

He demanded the Punjab health minister to take notice of the situation.

Meanwhile, some 94 expatriate Pakistanis who returned from Dubai on a special flight on Friday night were housed in the FAST university quarantine centre.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Riaz, District Police Officer Syed Hasnain Haider and Lt Col Adil Mehmood of the Pakistan Army welcomed the expats.

Addressing them, the officers assured the expats of government support and provision of best available facilities during the quarantine.

They expats were told that their tests would be conducted and if found negative for coronavirus they would be allowed to go to their homes.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2020