Some officials were left red faced on Saturday night after they realized their blunder of allowing those students to go home whose tests for Covid-19 had not arrived from lab yet. Their blinder created lot of problems for parents who arranged vehicles to bring back their children at Quarantine Centres.
At least 168 students from Bangladesh had returned back to Valley on 19 May. All these students were administrative quarantined in two hotels located on the banks of Dal Lake here in Kashmir capital Srinagar.
Sources told news agency that two days after their arrival at Quarantine Centres, their samples were taken and yesterday on Saturday late afternoon their tests for Covid-19 were declared negative. Parents were called, asked to take their children back. The jubilant parents arranged vehicles and took their wards back.
“We were happy that our son will celebrate Eid with us, but the joy was short lived. At around 11:00 on Saturday evening, we received a call from authorities, who asked us to bring our child back to quarantine centre. We were shocked and panicked too. What on earth at first place these officials allowed these children to go to home, if they were not sure, the Covid-19 reports they had checked belonged to them,” said a quarantined student’s father.
Sources said that authorities made repeated nocturnal calls to parents, urging them to bring back their wards back at Quarantine Centres. Sources added that the report that officials had received was not of these students who were quarantined in these hotels. “The negligence on part of officials created problems for the parents. Some of the parents who had no transport facility suffered heavily, but most of the parents brought their wards back to quarantine centres.”
“I didn’t send my daughter back. I dropped her at Quarantine Centre in the morning unlike other parents,” said a father from HMT Srinagar to news agency.
Parents said the negligence of officials can cost some families heavily, if God forbid, any student is now found positive for Covid-19. “These students stayed at home and mingled with family members and it was only around 11:00, they were informed there samples will be taken again.”
“We think their samples have gone missing,” said the parents.
When contacted some officials who feigned ignorance and were virtually tight lipped.
Insiders said that people at the helm of affairs have rebuked the erring officials for this mess. ( KNT )
