E-Paper
Newborn girl is the youngest in Ghaziabad quarantine facility
A 12-day-old girl at a private hospital in Nandgram is yet to see her home in Kaila Bhatta. For she is the youngest member at the quarantine facility in Ghaziabad.
A 12-day-old girl at a private hospital in Nandgram is yet to see her home in Kaila Bhatta. For she is the youngest member at the quarantine facility in Ghaziabad. Immediately after her birth on April 16, the newborn and her 25-year-old mother, who tested positive for Covid-19, were sent to the Covid hospital where they were kept separately. The baby was later handed over to her maternal grandparents who are presently admitted to the quarantine facility in Dasna. Doctors said the newborn’s Covid-19 test results are yet to come.
The child’s mother got discharged from the ESI Hospital in Sahibabad on April 27 and was sent home to Kaila Bhatta locality after her two successive tests came negative for Covid-19.
“She is my daughter’s first child but her in-laws did not visit my daughter from Meerut. It is due to their demands of dowry that the relations have turned sour and we have also filed a case of dowry harassment. She is my only daughter and I gifted her every household item after her wedding. But her in-laws later demanded a car, something that I could not afford. This is why she was sent home six months ago while she was three month’s pregnant,” girl’s maternal grandfather, who works at a small oil processing factory in Ghaziabad, said over the phone.
“My daughter is now eager to see her baby and hold her in her arms. Both of them have been separated as doctors told us that the baby needs to be away from her Covid-19 positive mother. The staff members at the quarantine facility are helpful and they have arranged her milk and even diapers,” he said.
The man is however annoyed with the health department team which came to his house after his 25-year-old daughter tested positive for Covid-19.
“They told all of us that we need to go along with them for two hours for testing purposes. But, they got us lodged at the quarantine facility in Dasna. The mother is yet to breastfeed her child as she hasn’t seen the baby since her birth. The health department has taken samples of the baby girl also. We are awaiting reports and will rush back home to look after my daughter as she had Caesarean delivery and has stitches,” he added.
Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer, Ghaziabad, said, “She was under treatment at different private facilities before and during her delivery and it is likely that she picked up the infection from one of these hospitals. Although she has been discharged after her test reports came negative, it will take another couple of days for the reports of her infant daughter and her parents to arrive. We are trying our best to ensure that the infant gets every facility in the quarantine and is able to see her mother soon,”
A part of Kaila Bhatta locality in old Ghaziabad city is already sealed by the administration after the 25-year-old woman tested positive. Her father is now worried as she is alone at home.
“No one is allowed to come out of their homes in our locality and I cannot even ask anyone to help out my daughter who is alone at home and yet to recover from the C-section surgery. Despite my meagre earnings, I tried to give her best treatment at private hospitals but she ended up contracting the Covid-19,” her father said.
According to the records of the Ghaziabad health department, a total of 99,311 persons are under quarantine, including 86,026 in home quarantine and another 759 in facility quarantine till April 27. The facility quarantine is meant for people who are close contacts or relations of Covid-19 patients.
