Around 220 Indians stranded in Japan because of the lockdown in India are worried not just about the pandemic but also of a potential natural disaster after an earthquake alert was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency recently.
They have appealed to the Indian government for help. Keerthan S. a doctor from Bengaluru had gone to Japan on February 29 this year for a clinical observation programme at the University of Tokyo and was slated to return on April 1. His travel insurance has lapsed and he is running out of resources. There are over 10 people from Bengaluru in Japan.
“The biggest concern for many of us here is avoiding contracting the virus as the lockdown is not the same as it is in India. Here more people are moving freely outside. Secondly, most of us do not have any medical insurance as it has lapsed,” said Dr. Keerthan.
He added that two of the stranded Indians had lost their parents back in India and many had ageing parents.
“It is depressing to be a witness to such distressing moments. An elderly couple here ran out of medicines and I tried to help them with prescriptions. However, our prescriptions are not accepted here,” he said.
Though the embassy of India in Tokyo has helped them to an extent, they claim that their queries are not being answered. “They have provided us with discounts in OYO rooms here. However, they are extremely expensive and Tokyo in general is expensive. Hence, the assistance they have provided is of very little help,” said another Indian stranded in Tokyo.
