Won’t take Covid tests, resolve 2 Faridabad villages

Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Hisar, October 10

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 recently.

The panchayat of Alipur Barota said they had 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 to take samples for Covid testing. “Though we asked the villagers to give samples, no villager came forward. The villagers opposed the testing,” he said.

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

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

Kumar said a villager who returned from Odisha had tested positive four months ago, but there had been no other patient in the village thereafter.

Dr Munish Bansal, Civil Surgeon, said 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 said.

Sundar, a villager who had 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 adopted a similar resolution.