Vidhuthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader D. Ravikumar has called for immediate medical intervention for the Sri Lankan refugees in Thumbalahalli camp in Dharmapuri.
In a letter to Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-resident Tamils welfare Gingee K.S. Masthan, Dr. Ravikumar has sought help for residents of the Thumbalahalli refugee camp in the wake of three persons testing positive for COVID-19, with two of them critically ill.
The letter said that Thyagaraja (50), a resident refugee, has been admitted to Omalur GH, Prakash (40) was awaiting bed outside the Dharmapuri Government Medical College Hospital with breathlessness and the third person was breathing with the help of an oxygen cylinder in his tenement at the camp.
The president of the refugee camp K. Gracian told The Hindu that there was a need for en masse testing of people in the camp. The camp has over 225 families and roughly about a population of 700.
On May 7, a special testing camp was held at the camp. Of the 58 persons who gave samples, results returned only for 18 residents and of whom 10 tested positive. The remaining 40 were awaiting results.
“We do not know why there is delay,” said Mr.Gracian.
“There are no beds anywhere. All we need is testing here, so we can all take precautions, isolate to the extent possible. There is a fear of an outbreak, because we live in clusters. Some 25 families share between 10 common toilets,” said Mr. Gracian
District Collector S.P. Karthika, in a reply to Dr. Ravikumar has said, Thumbalahalli camp was already a containment zone.
According to her, 112 samples were collected and 13 were found positive. However, the camp residents have appealed for en masse testing and medical counsel for those with symptoms.
