Malda (West Bengal): An elderly man has been staying in a boat on self-quarantine in Habibpur area of Malda district in West Bengal after doctors advised him to go on 14-day isolation.
Niranjan Haldar, a frail 65-year-old man, is staying in the boat which is tied to a bamboo pole near the bank of the ‘Tangan’, a rivulet, flowing beside Dubapara village for four days. He had come from Nabadweep in Nadia district to visit a relative in Dubapara. After he became feverish, villagers started suspecting him to be a COVID-19 patient.
When Haldar visited a nearby healthcare centre run by the West Bengal government , he was advised to go on home quarantine for 14 days.
“My relative does not have many rooms in his house. So, the villagers asked me to stay on a boat. My relative is providing me with food, water, and other essentials,” Haldar said Thursday.
The district administration officials of Habibpur area said they are looking into the incident and will transfer Haldar to a proper quarantine centre very soon.
Last week, seven persons of Balarampur area in Purulia district, who had recently returned from Chennai, were forced to go on self-quarantine on trees as they didn’t have enough room at their homes. They were shifted to a quarantine centre later.
It should be stated here that most village houses in West Bengal comprise of one or at the most two rooms. Hence if an entire family has to go on quarantine, the members will certainly have to look for other options.
Agencies