Almost 453 pilgrims out of 1,160, who spent 15 days each in Taftan and Multan quarantine centres and were sent to their respective districts on Saturday after being declared ‘negative’ for coronavirus, were tested positive when the covid-19 test was conducted for the third time.
According to a news report published in DAWN, the district administration of Multan conducted the screening and testing of all pilgrims — who came from Taftan quarantine centre — out of whom 1,160 tested negative. Later on Saturday, when the pilgrims were seated on buses to go back to their respective districts, the district administration got directions to conduct the tests of pilgrims again before sending them to their areas.
The pilgrims upon learning this direction, protested the move by expelling the district staff from the quarantine centre. They also locked the doors from inside and did not allow anyone to enter the centre. Then after the negotiations it was decided that the administration would send them to their respective districts after collecting their samples for tests. The authorities of respective districts were directed for arrangements to keep the pilgrims in quarantine until the results were received.
Now the recent testing has confirmed that 453 out of 1,160 pilgrims have contracted coronavirus. “The administration [of districts] is worried as they have no proper arrangements to keep the pilgrims who have been tested positive, while there are also chances that those tested negative might have got infected during travelling,” the report noted.
It was reported that the administration of Nishtar Hospital refused to provide doctors and paramedics to serve in the quarantine centre. “The hospital is only doing the tests while the quarantine centre is being looked after by the primary and secondary health department. We never refused, rather we were never asked for such help,” the newspaper quoted Vice Chancellor Nishtar Medical University Dr Mustafa Kamal Pasha as saying.
Moreover, DC Khattak said that the pilgrims were not sent to their homes rather quarantined in their respective districts as per the directions of provincial government.