New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami wrote to his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal Friday evening, requesting better care for 559 Tablighi Jamaat members from the state who are quarantined in the national capital.
The letter, which was released to the media, also seeks to alert Kejriwal to “a number of grievances with regard to conditions of stay” at quarantine facilities in Delhi.
The Tamil Nadu CM said a total of 559 people from Tamil Nadu, who had attended the March congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat that has been linked to dozens of Covid-19 cases around the country, are quarantined in the national capital.
“The individuals have been complaining that some of them are diabetic and suffering from other comorbidities. They are also not provided timely meals in the quarantine facilities,” the letter states, citing the death of a 60-year-old diabetic Tablighi Jamaat member who passed away this week after he was allegedly denied timely meals and medicines at a Delhi quarantine centre.
Also read: 30% of India’s Covid-19 positive caseload linked to Tablighi Jamaat meet, says govt
‘Ramadan is about to start, provide timely food & medicines’
Palaniswami has requested Kejriwal to instruct the “authorities concerned” to serve food at appropriate times, especially with the holy Islamic month of fasting, Ramadan or Ramzan, starting Saturday.
During Ramzan, devotees only have a meal before sunrise and one after sunset, when they break their fast.
“As the Ramadan month is due to start, authorities may be asked to provide food and medicine to them at appropriate times. Hence, I request you to instruct the authorities concerned to extend the best possible care for the quarantined/hospitalised individuals and also provide necessary medical assistance to those who are suffering from comorbid conditions,” the letter reads.
‘All complaints will be looked into’
While Chief Minister Kejriwal hasn’t officially reacted to the letter, a Delhi government official told ThePrint that all complaints regarding the facilities at local quarantine centres will be looked into.
“If the letter is citing some issues with the facilities, they will definitely have to be looked into. Every complaint needs to be taken seriously,” the official said.
Regarding the request for meals in accordance with Ramzan fasting rituals, the official said no decision had yet been made about it. “If you are in a quarantine facility and a potential Covid-19 patient, it’s best advisable to not fast as it could be detrimental to your health,” the official added.
“We need to extend the best possible care to everyone, that is for sure,” said the official.
Also read: How a Tablighi Jamaat meet in Nalanda in March has set off panic in Bihar