1,400 tested at Jalandhar railway station in past 5 days

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 21

A huge rush of migrant labourers at the Jalandhar railway station, who are heading back to their native places amid lockdown fears, has further increased the threat of Covid spread.

In the last five days, more than 1,400 persons have been tested for the infection at special camps set up at the railway station and a majority of them were migrant labourers. On an average, three persons are testing positive in rapid antigen test (RAT) everyday.

The lockdown fears have forced migrant workers, including those owrking in industries and brick kilns, to head back to their native places while farm labourers have decided to stay put.

Santosh, a daily wager who hails from UP, says trains are going full everyday and now he is paying Rs 3,000 for bus travel in order to reach his native place as soon as possible. “Going home is better than starving. I didn’t get a train ticket, so I borrowed Rs 3,000 to pay for bus travel. Covid cases are increasing everyday and we fear the imposition of the lockdown once again.”

Dr Deepti Bains, ayurvedic medical officer, who has been testing suspected patients at the crowded Jalandhar railway station for the past five days, says, “We have two shifts and the afternoon one is very crowded. We test approximately 140 persons per shift, a majority of whom are migrant labourers.”

Iqbal Chand Mattu from the All-Mazdoor Shakti Sangh and the Punjab Mazdoor Union, said, “There is a dearth of medical facilities at brick kilns. Most of the times, labourers avoid seeing a doctor in case of any medical help. Therefore, they are choosing to head back home.”