2 Fatehabad villages oppose Covid testing

State that all residents are doing fine

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, October 8

The panchayat of Alipur Barota and Tamaspura villages of Ratia block in Fatehabad district have adopted a resolution that their respective villages would not give samples for Covid testing and also would oppose any team of the Health Department that visits the villages in this regard.

The resolutions of the panchayats of the two villages were signed by the sarpanch and other villagers and were adopted yesterday.

The panchayat of Alipur Barota said that they have discussed the issue of Covid testing in the village. “The villagers have decided to oppose Covid testing and have refused to give samples. If a team visits the village, they will oppose it and none of the villagers will give samples,” the resolution stated, adding that all the villagers are healthy and doing fine and that there is no need for Covid testing.

Sunil Kumar, husband of sarpanch Maina Devi, maintained that a team of the Health Department had arrived yesterday to take samples for Covid testing. “Though we asked the villagers to give samples, no villager came forward to give it. The villagers even opposed the testing,” he said.

He said that the visiting team asked the panchayat to give in writing about not giving samples. So the panchayat adopted a resolution and handed over the copy to the Health Department.

He however stated that the villagers are not upset or annoyed with Covid testing but they opined that since they were healthy, they would not give samples.

Kumar said that a villager who returned from Odisha had tested positive four months ago but there have been no other patients in the village after that.

Civil Surgeon Dr Munish Bansal said that he got information about some villages’ opposition to testing. “We have increased sampling for Covid testing but we are facing protests from some quarters. Our teams are trying to assure the villagers about the need for testing,” he added.

Sundar, a villager who has signed the resolution, stated that the villagers were unhappy with the style of functioning of the Health Department regarding Covid management.

He said, “The Health Department took samples of villagers and then declared some Covid-positive. But when the person is discharged after 10 days, no Covid testing is conducted. Villagers feel that it is bizarre and they have doubts about this kind of testing. So they have decided against getting themselves tested.”

The panchayat of Tamaspura too has adopted a similar resolution.