Respect laws, work for humanity: Message from cured Tablighi Jamaat members in Delhi

By Sahil Pandey
Jhajjar (Haryana), [India] May 2 : Tablighi Jamaat members, staying at isolation centre in Haryana's Jhajjar, have appealed to the countrymen to respect laws and work for humanity in country's fight against Covid-19.
The appeal was made by the people who, in March, attended the Tablighi congregation at Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz, which turned out to be a hotspot for highly contagious Coronavirus.
Some of the members, who recently tested negative for Covid-19, heaped praises on their doctors and medical professionals, saying the facility "felt like home."

"On the first day, I was panicking, wondering where I have come. But after a few days, when I interacted with the doctors here and got food, medicine and other facilities, we did not face any difficulty and felt at home. We were taken care of well," Arshad Ahmed, who hails from Amravati, told ANI.
Ahmed, who had attended the congregation organised at Nizamuddin Markaz on March 26, had earlier been tested positive on March 31.
He was then brought to Jhajjar for Covid-19 treatment after undergoing a checkup at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in the national capital.

Reports had emerged regarding misbehavior and unfortunate treatment meted out to doctors and nurses allegedly by Tablighi Jamaat members.
Some reports had emerged saying Tablighi Jamaat members of misbehaving with doctors and nurses. Ahmed clarified.
"When people from Markaz were picked up and at that time, they were scared that they were being targeted. I think that is why they reacted in that way. But once the matter was cleared that it is being done for their benefit and safety, everyone cooperated," he said while responding to the allegations.

Amid the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramzan, Ahmed appealed to fellow Muslims to follow the instructions set by the authorities, and continue to offer Namaz at home only.
"Whatever the government is saying or doing should be followed. What Prime Minister Narendra Modi is saying should be followed. We must cooperate. We should go beyond religion and caste. We have kept roza (fast) and if this lockdown continues, we have decided that we will be at home and offer namaz," he added.
Shabana Parveen termed social distancing as a key precautionary measure to curb the spread of coronavirus.
"We had very good facilities here. Food, medicine and accommodation were very good. Whenever we required anything, we were provided the same on time. I have learnt that what the government is saying should be followed. We should properly follow social distancing and masks should be used at all time," she added.
Both Parveen and Ahmed have volunteered to donate plasma if required, calling it a service to "humanity".
The Jhajjar isolation facility has around 300 rooms and a staff strength of 65 per day including helpers, ward boys and others.
Also, 21 foreign nationals mostly from from Thailand, Malaysia and Fiji, who had attended the Markaz event, were also brought to the facility.
"One month ago, around 155 people, who were from Tablighi Jamaat, came to our centre. Out of these, around 120 people tested positive while around 35 people were negative. Now, many have tested negative and have been sent to a quarantine facility," informed Dr Ved Prakash Meena, a clinical consultant at the facility.
Presently, only nine Jamaatis are still positive and they are being treated, while nearly 120 patients, who tested negative were shifted out two days ago.