When A Tree Turns Into An Isolation Ward

An 18-year-old boy in Telangana's Nalgonda district was forced to isolate himself on a tree after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Shiva, who is pursuing his graduation in Hyderabad, returned to his village Kothanadikonda a month ago after witnessing a steep rise in COVID cases in the city.

However, on May 4, he tested positive for the virus. Soon after, the volunteers at the village asked him to self-isolate himself to protect his family from the transmission.

With no isolation centre at the village and in the absence of adequate space at his home as well, the young student decided to build an isolation ward made of bamboo sticks on a tree branch in his home's premises. He has spent 11 days till now, reported News18.

Making use of the available resources, he designed a pulley system with rope and a bucket to facilitate the provision of meals and other necessities. According to the reports, his house has only one washroom, built inside the home. Therefore, has to go out in the fields after sunset to relieve himself.

And how does he pass time while up there? He uses his mobile phone to kill the time. From staying connected with his friends, relatives, local authorities, to help him pass time, the gadget has been immensely beneficial.

"My husband and I are daily wage workers and Shiva has two siblings. My son understood that if we get infected, then it would be difficult for the family to survive with no earnings. The ASHA workers told us to isolate him, but did not ask us if we had a provision to isolate him at home. We travelled 5 km to reach the nearest PHC, but there were no beds there, said Shiva's mother.

While the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is ravaging cities, experts have raised concerns about the virus reaching the far-flung rural areas this time. This incident has highlighted the unpreparedness of the villages that are battling the outbreak.

In a similar incident, when the migrant crisis hit the country last year, seven migrant workers from Purulia in West Bengal were forced to quarantine atop three trees after they arrived in their village from Chennai. They were stopped from entering their villages by the villagers.

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