Quarantine an ordeal for pregnant women who returned from abroad

Quarantine an ordeal for pregnant women who returned from abroad

Many say the food served triggered vomiting, water was in short supply

12/05/2020, SUNITHA SEKAR,CHENNAI

Passengers who arrived by repatriation flights were given a choice to stay in hotels in Chennai.B. VELANKANNI RAJB_VELANKANNI RAJ

Twenty-nine-year-old Suganya Saravanan, who is pregnant, was relieved when she landed in Chennai from Dubai a few days ago. Little did she realise that she would have to endure harrowing days.

“The hotel where I am quarantined has been providing us with some terrible food. I have been vomiting and having diarrhoea for two days now. I had a miscarriage two years ago and I’m dreading what will happen to the baby if this continues,” she says.

Passengers who returned to Chennai in repatriation flights were given a choice to either stay in quarantine in free accommodation on a private college campus or pay for stay in hotel — one that would cost them ₹1,500 a day located in Periyamet and the other ₹2,500 a day in Guindy. Like Ms. Suganya, pregnant women who opted to stay in the hotel in Periyamet allege that they have been suffering, as the food served to them caused vomiting and diarrhoea.

Shalini Devi Chandrasekhar, 29, six months pregnant, says they were given dosa and khichdi for breakfast, a variety rice for lunch and chapatti and rice for dinner. “Many of us ended up vomiting because the food was poorly cooked, very oily and it barely had any vegetables. The rice was mostly uncooked. We can stay in quarantine, but we need at least cooked and healthy food; I don’t think that is asking for too much. After all, we are paying ₹1,500 a day.

All of us are hungry, because the quantity given is grossly insufficient,” she adds.

Twenty-five-year old S. Saranya says the hotel provides only one litre of water bottle for the whole day.

“After dehydration from vomiting and diarrhoea, we had to beg them for more water. Even when we are ready to pay them, we have to wait for hours. Yesterday, we went to the reception and some of us broke down in desperation; after that, we got an additional bottle,” she adds.

Anitha S., 27, a resident of Salem, who is nine months pregnant, says she has been through one of the most stressful times. “My due date is fast approaching. If something happens at midnight, what will I do? We have no idea whom to contact in case of an emergency. We decided to come back to India because we have help here, but now, I’m terrified what might happen,” she says.