QCs facing challenges in Meghalaya

    17-May-2020
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Newmai News Network
Shillong, May 17: The quarantine centres in Meghalaya set up by various Dorbar Shnong are facing some challenges in providing bedrooms, separate toilets, water supply, caretakers to name a few.
A quarantine centre set up by the Dorbar Shnong of Laitkor Mawrie under Nongkrem Constituency is facing such hardships.
In this regard, the headman of Laitkor Mawrie, Phorkly Kharshiing said that the Dorbar Shnong has set up a place at the Laitkor Presbyterian LP School in the area to accommodate the returnees who have already arrived and those who will be coming from various states.
Informing that a returnee from Chennai is already staying in the quarantine centre while four more are expected to return to the locality and start quarantine at the centre for 28 days, he said, “We have arranged everything in this school as a quarantine centre for the returnees like five separate bathrooms, five toilets, five beds etc and the doctor in charge of this centre has also approved of this quarantine centre.
“We have also engaged one caretaker who will also monitor these people staying in this centre and ensure that they don’t come out of this place and mix with other people,” he said adding that food will be arranged by the family of the returnees.
Informing that the MLA of the area has provided the Dorbar Shnong with two pairs of PPE kits which will be used by the caretaker, three mattresses, sanitizers and other necessities, he however said that the Dorbar Shnong has its own challenges like paying to the caretaker about Rs 5000 to 6000 a month, providing regular water supply in the centre, beside other requirements.
“We have our own challenges like paying for the water supply and paying the care taker because our Dorbar Shnong doesn’t have this kind of fund,” he said adding that they have set up the quarantine centres after the parents of the returnees expressed their hardships to opt for home quarantine. Stating that the identification of the area where a quarantine centre will be set up is in itself a difficult task keeping in mind the requirements, he said, “We don’t know if the government will be providing us with more that will be required in the quarantine centres but we are hopeful that everything will be okay. It will also be more conducive if the government could provide a security guard for the quarantine centres set up by the Dorbar Shnongs.”
Meanwhile, most of the Dorbar Shnongs with large number of returnees have expressed that they are facing problems in handling this herculean task.
The Dorbar Shnongs also opined that it will be a tough task for the volunteers to monitor those returnees coming in large numbers in their respective localities and to ensure that they do not break the home quarantine protocol.