Delhi’s Qutab Garh village struggles for Covid tests, medicines despite deaths

By Rajnish Singh

New Delhi, May 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) Delhi's Qutab Garh village, where nearly 50 residents have lost their lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is still struggling to get proper testing facility to detect the deadly virus and timely medication to treat its victims.

Located in Saraswati Vihar tehsil of northwest Delhi district, Qutab Garh's residents said the second wave of the coronavirus seems to have gone on a killer spree in the village in the last two months.

Not much far from Saraswati Vihar town, the village's story is similar to that of the nearby Saoda, Chatesar, Jonti, Garhi Rindhala, Nizam Pur Rashid Pur, Lad Pur, Kanjhawala, Gheora, Rani Khera, Mubarak Pur Dabas and Kirari Suleman Nagar villages as well as others across Delhi which are still not able to get facilities being provided by the Delhi government amid the crisis.

As per Census 2011, Qutab Garh, which has 1,369 houses, has a population of 7,639 of which 4,094 are males while 3,545 are females. Population of children with age of 0-6 was 1,107 which is 14.49 per cent of total population. The female sex ratio is of 866 against state average of 868, while child sex ratio is around 771 compared to Delhi state average of 871. The literacy rate is 84.46 per cent (male 91.58 per cent and female 76.40 per cent).

However, its residents are deprived of easily accessible Covid testing facilities and medicines with proper instructions of a seasoned doctor of any government or any reputed private hospital despite the pandemic.

Most of the residents of Qutab Garh told IANS that "almost every house has more than two patients suffering from fever and cough, and many of them have all the Covid-19 symptoms".

"But only a few could manage to go for Covid-19 tests."

Harjeet Pal, who is in his 50s, told IANS that "there are one government hospital in Ferozpur Bangar area and two Delhi government dispensaries in the radius of 5 km but the crowd gathering at these spots might be a virus spreader".

"So, most of the people avoid visiting these government facilities to get themselves tested to avoid Covid-19 infection. If Covid testing is made available at the village primary school, it might be helpful for villagers here to get themselves tested."

In absence of proper health care facilities, most residents are relying on quacks running 'dispensaries' in the area and assuring of treating Covid with medicines which, they claim, are advised by top doctors of Delhi.

Several people have been getting treatment only at these 'dispensaries' because these quacks have advised them that they don't have Covid-19 symptoms.

"Several residents of this village have been treated by these quacks but those lost their lives as they were diagnosed with Covid in last stage in lack of timely testing and initial medication," said resident Badrinath Bhati.

Then some of the villagers don't want themselves tested for Covid-19 as they think that the government hospitals have been declaring to all those who have any symptom as "positive".

"I don't think that everyone is Covid positive. This is a time of viral infection too. I don't want my family getting infected with Covid while trying to get them tested at any government facility where huge crowd is seen everyday standing in long queues," said Siddheshwar Prashad, another resident, whose three family members have mild fever for almost a week now.

Prasad said if there is facility of testing in the village, he would be the first person to get his family tested for Covid as it would be a safe option.

He said that over 50 to 55 people in the village have lost their lives due to Covid, they have decided to avoid visiting outside the village.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)

Source: IANS