A pregnant woman from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh was forcibly kept in a "temporary jail" in Uttar Pradesh on suspicion of COVID-19, despite repeatedly testing negative for the virus. Twitter users in India are sharing the story of Rizwana, a Muslim woman, who suffered a miscarriage in captivity, but was made to wait for three days before she received any medical attention.
Indian journalist @maya206 tweeted: “Horrifying. A pregnant woman tests negative for #Covid_19 four times, is quarantined for over 40 day in #UttarPradesh, and loses her baby. …. Who will be held accountable for the unforgivable, hateful treatment towards her?”
Twitter users are asking if communal politics have made people in India insensitive to the pain of fellow human beings.
On May 14, Indian news website quint.com reported: “29-year-old Rizwana's hopes met a heart-wrenching end when she suffered a miscarriage while staying at Shri Ramswaroop College of Engineering and Management, declared a temporary jail by UP government, in Lucknow district on 9 May night.”
Apparently, Rizwana and her husband Mohammad Rafi left Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh with eight other people on February 14 to attend a religious community event. After India’s lockdown, the group were in Mehmoodnagar in Lucknow. The UP police arrested all ten of them, including Rizwana, on April 3.
An FIR was against them on April 6 under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Reportedly, After testing negative for COVID-19 four times at GCRG Institute of Medical Sciences, the 10 of them were moved to Shri Ramswaroop College on May 3 with the promise of being allowed to go home a day later, they claim. However almost two weeks later, they were still there.
On May 9, Rizwana suffered the miscarriage at the temporary jail, but, till the night of May 12 she was not taken to a hospital for medical care.
"I have lost my child after being in quarantine for 44 days. The food, living conditions here have been problematic. Getting medicines has also not been easy. I have been under stress since the day we were moved here. I am in a lot of pain, weak and very anxious due to the blood loss. Please let me go home," she said according to The Quint report.
Tagging lawmakers in the state, @Sameer470 tweeted: “@ysjagan @TelanganaCMO @KTRTRS see how pregnant woman from Guntur was mistreated by UP Govt.”
And, @suhailshaik777 added: “@JayGalla sir! Pregnant woman from Guntur was forcibly kept in a "temporary jail" in Uttar Pradesh … sir please look after the issue and help them to come back to Guntur.”
