‘I want to be with my family’
INDIAN nationals in South Africa may be thousands of kilometres from home, but are feeling the stress and anxiety for their loved ones.
The South Asian nation has been battling the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with hundreds of thousands of new infections being reported and thousands dying daily.
There had been reports of a shortage of hospital beds and oxygen supply.
A number of countries have assured medical aid to India.
Dev Tewari, an economics professor at the University of Zululand, said he was depressed and very worried about his family’s health.
Tewari’s wife and
Lucknow, India.
“I came to know this week that they are sick and have some symptoms of the virus. Our relatives are monitoring their health. I feel helpless being here.
“The situation in Lucknow is very bad. The shortage of oxygen has been a major problem,” said Tewari.
He said the family had been South Africa since 1995.
“In 2019 we went to India when my mom died. I returned but my son and wife remained. Unfortunately they got stuck when the pandemic started. I am trying to bring them back as soon as the situation improves.
“I am quite worried about them and my extended family in India. My daughter is a doctor on the Kwa Zulu-natal South Coast,” he said.
Tewari said the large gatherings and people not following protocols were what caused the spread of the virus.
“We should learn from India and avoid large gathering and adhere to protocols.
“I am sure India will overcome this problem,” he said.
Piyush Khandelwal, who runs a digital marketing and IT consulting firm in Durban, said he communicated daily with his family who live near Delhi.
“It is very concerning. A frenzy was created which scared people not to get tested or go to hospital.
“My family have not been venturing out.
“My elderly parents were vaccinated which is a bit of a comfort. However some of my family in Mumbai did contract the virus, but thankfully were able to recover at home,” said Khandelwal.
He said in January he and his wife contracted the virus and recovered at their North Beach, Durban, apartment.
Khandelwal said as soon as the situation improved, he would go to India to get vaccinated.
Deepak Kumar Chaudhary, a lecturer at the University of Kwazulu-natal, is due to leave Durban today to join his family in Ghaziabad near Delhi.
Chaudhary, 45, who has been living in South Africa for more than 12 years, is on six months’ sabbatical.
His wife and two children are living in India.
“I am in touch with my family and relatives.
“Thankfully, they are okay and are taking the necessary precautions.
“The situation does seem to be not good there with resources being son were in in strained and hospital beds being full. But I do hear conflicting news reports. There is a lot of chaos there and people are not getting the right news,” said Chaudhary.
He said he was concerned about travelling, but would rather be close to his family.
“I will take the precautions. It was not fair of me to stay here although my wife said it would be safer for me to stay here.
“If I am stuck here and if anything should happen to them in India, I would not be at ease.
“I prefer to be there and face the music. I do hope things will improve,” he said.
He believes the government was doing its best to control the situation.
Meanwhile, this week the Islamic Medical Association of South Africa (Imasa) and the South African Muslim Network (Samnet) wrote to the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, to institute a mandatory 14-day isolation period on travellers coming in from all red-line countries.
“We do believe, however, that owing to difficulties in monitoring quarantine as well as costs associated with such an exercise, a total ban on all incoming travel from passengers from India and Brazil be implemented on a 14-day review basis,” wrote Dr Yakub Moosa Essack, president of Imasa and Dr Faisal Suleman, chairperson of Samnet.
They said their heartfelt concern goes out to the people of India and Brazil at this time and encouraged all measures of humanitarian and logistical support.
“It is absolutely imperative to have a balanced approach in reducing and mitigating the risk of the spread of the Indian variant of the Covid-19 virus while we roll out our vaccine programme.
“South Africa is at great risk of a third wave and we need to ensure that any and all external factors are controlled to minimise the risk.
“The explosion of Covid infections internationally and in India and Brazil in particular, with new variants of the virus coupled with our delayed vaccination programme, poses a clear and present danger to the well-being of South Africans."
They said many countries had stopped travellers from India, Brazil and other red-line countries, or have instituted mandatory 14-day quarantine in designated areas.
"Presently travellers coming from India and other red line countries, on presentation of a negative Covid test at point of entry into South Africa, can immediately travel freely all over our country without any isolation period."