KALEEM GEELANI

SRINAGAR: Four scholars of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) belonging to Kashmir valley who had reportedly fled the quarantine facility at Aligarh were traced on Saturday at their native places and kept in isolated quarantine for fourteen days.
The Four PhD scholars from Kashmir had fled from AMU amid quarantine period without informing the varsity administration on Friday, following which a hunt was launched to trace them.
On Friday late evening, news spread on social media that four Kashmiri PhD scholars, who had returned from UAE some days ago, had fled the quarantine facility at University Health Service (Aligarh Muslim University).
A letter, which went viral on social media, was addressed to Dean Students Welfare, AMU, by the CMO, University Health Service (AMU) on Thursday, saying, “This is for your kind information that following three students who had visited UAE from 4th to 9th March, 2020 and were admitted in UHS isolation ward at 4 pm on 18-03-2020 for quarantine, are absconding from the hospital since 9:45 pm last night”.
It further added, “Another PhD scholar, name withheld, who had visited Taiwan from 15th Feb to 14th March and was admitted in our isolation ward at 8:35 pm last night, also left this hospital at 11 am today and informed me in writing that he is leaving for his home town Anantnag (J&K) today.”
Following this, the Jammu and Kashmir administration and police authorities were alerted to trace all of them. Three of them were traced to their native villages in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and one was found at his home in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Saturday morning.
The PhD scholars had reached their homes on Friday evening, and were traced the next morning.
All the four were taken to their respective district hospitals for screening, though they were found asymptomatic. However, doctors have asked them to remain in isolated quarantine facility for a period of fourteen days.
“All of them had travel history of abroad, due to which they were kept in isolated quarantine for a period of fourteen days,” said a medical officer.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Anantnag told Kashmir Reader, “The PhD scholar from Anantnag has been kept at isolated quarantine at hospital for fourteen days, though he was found asymptomatic, but given the fact that he had a travel history of abroad, it was mandatory to keep him under isolated quarantine.”
Dr Deeba, CMO Baramulla, informed, “We received three AMU students today morning and after running proper screening, they were found asymptomatic. But all the three were kept in isolated quarantine in hospital as they had travel history of abroad.”

Reader correspondent