Bandipora, Aug 06 (KNO): Ever since the COVID-19 gripped the Kashmir valley, two government teachers in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district were tasked to receive all the national and international travellers, who would be later put under administrative quarantine.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, two government teachers Mohammad Hussain Bhat and Nazar Munawar Mir have received 2250 travellers so far from different states of India and outside.
Bhat while talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that their job was to keep the travellers in different quarantine centers and prepare other essentials for them. “After 14 days quarantine period we would have to take these travellers, who were coming from different states and countries, to home.”
Initially when no one was ready to fight the pandemic without health authorities as everyone was scared, Bhat and his colleague were selected for this task by the administration.
"We faced many challenges particularly during the holy month of Ramadan because a lot of people were coming back those days and it was our job to keep them in the quarantine facilities," he said.
"We were constantly busy with our work and it was becoming difficult to go home during those days as a lot of travellers were coming to Bandipora in the middle of the night. We would have to remain awake as we get a call anytime to receive the travellers,” Bhat said.
He also said that many of the travellers were later found infected with COVID-19 when they were tested in various quarantine centres and they had close contact with them sometimes.
“Even then we did not give up our work because we had to save our society and fight this disease.”
He said that they both supported each other and continued to do their job for which they were assigned by the administration. “I remember one night it was Shab-i-Qadr and we took the travellers to ITI Bandipora. There was no bed for them at that time so they became very angry. We had to bear that as well because it was our job to make arrangements for them.”
He said that besides Bandipora they were also working in Gurez and Sumbal areas to receive the travellers and drop them at their respective places.
Hussain further said that as long as people support the administration and people will take care of themselves they can't get rid of this deadly virus.
“We are both proud of ourselves because we have become part of the fight against this disease. I will always remember these moments. I am still doing my job and by the grace of God, we will get rid of this disease very soon," he said—(KNO)