Citizens offer properties for quarantine facilities

Vadodara: At a time when the district administration is making efforts to create as many quarantine facilities in the city as possible to tackle greater number of Coronavirus patients, a few individuals and a group have voluntarily offered their vacant properties to the government to convert these into quarantine facilities.
Vishal Shah, a businessman, has offered three of his 3BHK apartments in Akota to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation to be used as quarantine facilities if needed.Shah, who is in the construction and IT services business, said, “I had read somewhere that the civic body is looking for places to increase its capacity of quarantine facility. These three apartments were vacant right now and so I decided to let these out without taking any charges.”
“I am sure if the VMC will use my apartment they will hand it back after proper sanitization and fumigation and therefore, I am not worried about that aspect at all,” Shah added.
Shah has been approached by a few doctors who are facing ostracization in their own societies. “The neighbours of these doctors feel that they carry the virus since they are treating patients. One of them has decided to move in on Thursday,” Shah told TOI.
Harish Arora, an engineer working with Electrical Research and Development Association (ERDA), too has offered his 2BHK in Manjalpur for converting it into a quarantine facility. “If hospitals will get full with patients then the administration can use my apartment since it is lying vacant and I do not let it out on rent,” he said.
Atmanand Jain Samaj (AJS) is also offering its ‘dharamshala’ at Ghadiyali Pol for the similar purpose. “When our country is going through difficult times we should offer every resources that we have at our disposal. Our ‘dharamshala’ has 12 rooms and two halls. Therefore, the government can decide how they would like to utilize it,” said Jayesh Chudgar, secretary of the AJS’s Vadodara unit.
The district administration has so far zeroed in on Samras Hostel in Sama and hostels of resident and intern doctors of GMERS Medical College and Hospital in Gotri for converting them into quarantine facilities.