Farmers Movement Archive

Spurt in Covid-like symptoms at Singhu border, farmers not keen on tests

NEW DELHI: The farmers protesting at Singhu border since November last year visited the medical kiosks there mostly for help with stomach ailments and recently from heatstroke. But more lately, an increasing number of people are going to the volunteer doctors with complaints of fever, cough and other symptoms often associated with the Covid-19 infection. While a few doctors feared these could indeed be coronavirus cases, there is no way to make sure because no tests are carried out at the protest site. On April 6, a 40-bed makeshift hospital came up near the main stage at Singhu border. It was built for the agitating farmers by the Indian National Lok Dal. Doctors at the hospital disclosed that “every third case” is of someone suffering from dry cough, fever and body ache, which are also symptoms of Covid. “Despite all this, we cannot establish Covid testing here because the protestors may not like the idea,” revealed one doctor. Parikshit Malik, a doctor from Sonipat working at the new hospital, elaborated on why tests may only annoy the protesters. “The farmers oppose Covid tests because they don’t want it to become the reason for their dispersal from the area,” Malik explained. “In any case, to show their anger at the government, the farmers aren’t keen on masks either. The hospital staff keep urging people come here for treatment not to ignore such precautions, but not many are keen about even getting themselves vaccinated.” Another doctor also said, “An increasing number of protesters are showing symptoms of flu, so we tell them to be cautious. But we may never know if they are Covid-positive or not.” Covid is, however, not a topic for avid discussion at the Singhu border. Avtar Singh, co-founder of an eight-bed hospital set up on January 8 by NGO Life Care Foundation there, asserted, “There are no Covid cases at the protest site. Many people come here with common ailments and if someone is seriously ill, we shift the individual to a hospital where Covid tests are done. No one from here as yet has proved to be Covid-positive. No Covid deaths either. People have good immunity and are eating well.” Avtar Singh also said, “We and the staff have worked here for months now, and none of us have contracted the coronavirus despite treating thousands of people in this period.” Paramjit Singh of Jai Kisan Andolan and member of the protest organising committee also had the same refrain. “We have no information of Covid cases at the protest site,” he claimed. “We have only had cases of heatstroke, for which we are setting up fans, while some protestors have put up ACs and coolers.”

The Times of India

2021-04-09

Delhi