Travellers in Sukkur complain of lack of facilities

Murad acknowledges plight of pilgrims, says govt is doing best possible in difficult situation

KARACHI: Though the Sindh government has established the country’s largest quarantine centre in Sukkur, those confined to it complain it is lacking basic facilities.

Officials stated that around 1,700 flats constructed by the labour department in Sukkur, which had been abandoned for the last few years, had been converted into accommodations for suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients returning from the Taftan border.

According to officials, at least 293 travellers have been shifted to Labour Colony in Sukkur, while over 600 more due to arrive from Taftan would also be accommodated there.

“We were hungry and had not received a single bite of food when we travelled here from Taftan. When we arrived here, there was nothing to eat either,” complained a man at the centre. “After we made a hue and cry, the officials threw a meal outside our room.”

Speaking to The Express Tribune over the phone, he claimed that neither he nor his wife had any symptoms, but his young daughter had tested positive for novel coronavirus.

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Another man, from Dadu district, told The Express Tribune that his two-year-old daughter was crying from lack of bottled milk, adding that no one was providing them with it. “The lack of water in the washroom is also creating difficulties for us. We did not see such conditions through the last 40 days of our journey to Iran,” he said, appealing to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to help them.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that the unfinished Labour Colony flats had not had electricity, adding that the utility was only provided a day before the travellers arrived.

However, Sukkur commissioner Shafique Ahmed Mahesar denied any ill-treatment of the pilgrims, insisting that all basic facilities, including food, water and electricity, had been provided for them.

“We have strict instructions not to let them leave until they have completed two weeks of quarantine. But many of them are insisting they be allowed to leave, claiming they are healthy,” he explained.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Karachi, the chief minister acknowledged the difficult situation of the travellers. “There is no illusion that we are able to offer excellent facilities to our citizens in quarantine. But we are doing the best we can in a difficult situation,” he stated, accepting that people were scared.

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“There will be people in the isolation wards who are unhappy; who would not be? I sincerely apologise to them,” said Shah, adding that the government would try to fill the gaps soon.

Speaking to the media, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab pointed out that the travellers had spent over a week in quarantine in Taftan without any of them being diagnosed with the disease. “This shows the apathy and incompetence of federal government officials, who are primarily responsible for dealing with the cases,” he claimed.

He maintained that equal treatment was being provided to all those in isolation, without any discrimination. “The CM has also announced that ration will be provided to the families whose breadwinners have tested positive and are in isolation,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2020.