Forty four pilgrims from the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, who had been evacuated from Iran, finally made their way back to their own homes after spending a month in a Naval quarantine facility in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, as the lockdown had delayed their departure till a special flight was organised.
The 44 pilgrims, including 24 women, made best use of their time at the Indian Navy Quarantine Facility at Material Organisation, including a regular game of cricket to keep them going. In all, they spent 30 days in the facility, starting March 13 and ending with each of them testing negative for COVID-19 on March 28. They had undergone a pre-embarkation test for SARS-CoV-2, all of which returned negative.
Re-tested
Around March 20, six of the pilgrims caused a few tense moments after showing symptoms of COVID-19. The six were were re-tested and were found to be negative.
The group is a part of the second batch of Indian pilgrims to return from Iran. All of them were part of a group of 120 Indians, 76 of whom returned to Delhi on March 15. The first batch of 58 Indian pilgrims were brought back on March 10. All Shia Muslim pilgrims, they were in Qom city, where shrines in attract millions of pilgrims every year.
In Mumbai, a dedicated team of medical staff from the Indian Navy worked tirelessly to monitor the health of the evacuees. They were supported by a team of conservancy personnel and other staff to take care of the cleanliness of the facility, their comfort and well-being. Food prepared under strict supervision and customised to meet any special requirements.
Made comfortable
“The evacuees were made comfortable in the facility with the provision of a library, a TV room, indoor games, a small gymnasium, and even limited cricket gear. The nationwide lockdown with limited availability of stores posed additional challenges that were overcome with innovation and resolve. Further, the evacuees’ stay was extended as they had no means of travelling to their homes in Srinagar and Ladakh. Subsequently, arrangements were made to airlift them using Indian Air Force aircraft and on April 12, a C-130 aircraft has flown these individuals back to Srinagar,” Naval spokesperson Commander Mehul Karnik said.
For the return journey, each evacuee was given packed food, refreshments and two hand-stitched masks, courtesy the Naval Wives Welfare Association, Ghatkopar.
