The Punjab government is making efforts for bringing back Punjabis, especially pilgrims, stuck in different parts of the country, so that their medical examinations can be conducted and they can be reunited with their families. After the pilgrims were brought back from Nanded (Maharashtra), now, the Punjab government has brought pilgrims who were stuck at different Gurudwaras in Delhi. And 25 of them were brought to Ludhiana by special buses to the Isolation Centre set up at Meritorious School, here.Pilgrims Amrik Singh, Bhag Singh and Abhishek stated that ever since the lockdown, they were staying at different gurudwaras in Delhi (especially Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tilla and Shri Bangla Sahib). Later, they were shifted to different schools by the Delhi government. They said that the arrangements of food etc were very poor in those schools, whereas the arrangements at this particular isolation centre are far better as compared to Delhi. They informed that in Delhi, they used to get only rice to eat, and even drinking water was not clean, due to which many of them had got diarrhoea.They also showed satisfaction that they finally started getting good quality food, hygienic environment and RO/mineral water to drink.
They showed satisfaction that they are finally back in Punjab and when their reports come negative, they would go back to their families. They specially thanked Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab government for making all these arrangements.The doctors present on duty namely Dr Moin Ansari and Dr Jyotika informed that till date, 195 pilgrims have been brought to this particular isolation centre, out of which 135 pilgrims have been sent to quarantine centres in their respective villages or their homes after their reports came negative. They said that the 52 pilgrims whose reports came positive, have been shifted to Civil Hospital for treatment.It is pertinent to mention that due to the hard work of health department and district administration officials, the isolation centre set up at Meritorious School, here, has now started functioning as a 500-bedded hospital. The place where this isolation centre has been set up was the three-blocks of girls hostel of the Meritorious School and all facilities have been added to it later. All the facilities have been added to this isolation centre from scratch as earlier, this facility only had beds. Now this centre also has an operational laboratory, where the samples of all persons staying in it can be taken.When the samples of people staying here come out negative, they are shifted to their respective homes to complete their 14-day quarantine so that they remain mentally and emotionally strong as they would be close to their family members now.