With the COVID-19 situation going from bad to worse in Delhi, many from the national capital region have been rushing to Punjab for testing and treatment of the infection, which has put the health authorities in worrisome situation.
A 57-year-old bank manager, posted in Delhi for the past several years, tested positive for the disease in Patiala yesterday. It has been claimed by his son that after showing corona symptoms, his father visited several hospitals for treatment, but wasn’t entertained anywhere.
In another case, an elderly couple has been admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital here. The husband-wife duo visited the health facility as soon as they reached Patiala from Delhi on Wednesday, said officials. They had got tested at a private lab in the Capital and were found positive.
Concerned over the emerging trend, the Health Department has alerted the policymakers to find a solution.
Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said it appeared as if all of them were visiting the state on purpose—for corona treatment. “We have informed the Director, Health and Family Welfare. Such patients should not be counted in the Punjab caseload, but in that of Delhi,” he said.
As per the information acquired from sources, people from Delhi were approaching their friends, extended family members and acquaintances in Punjab to find accommodation on rent. A property dealer said he was hunting for a ‘kothi’ (house) on rent in Mohali for two families from Delhi.
Dr Sumeet Singh, District Epidemiologist, said, “There have been several cases of people from Delhi visiting their relatives and friends in Punjab as the situation in the Capital seems to be worsening by the day. The corona positive rate of those coming from the NCR and Maharashtra is quite high compared to other places.”