HYDERABAD: While reports of social discrimination of COVID-19 affected patients are rampant, one apartment in the city has taken up a novel method of ‘community lock’.
Speaking to Express, Yuvraj Pethnakar, a member of the resident welfare association said, "One of residents in the apartment has contracted the virus, couple of days ago. Residents were worried because a large percentage of residents are above the age of 60 and most of them live alone. However, the said person reached out to the association a few days prior to being released from Gandhi Hospital and came up with the idea of a community lock."
Before getting discharged from the hospital, the patient submitted all his documents to the residents welfare association and volunteered to be locked from outside, in his flat for the 21-day recovery period. The keys were handed over to the security guards, and the flat is opened only to provide food and essentials to the patient.
“His extended family lives in another flat in the same apartment. They go to his flat twice a day to provide food or medication to him. This step was taken to make sure that life does not come to a standstill for all the other residents.”
Showering praise about the step taken, a resident of the apartment, Kaushani Paul, said, "The step has instilled a sense of confidence among the residents as we will not have to restrict our movement inside the building. The step is helpful especially for children who want to step out to play, and senior citizens who visit the apartment grocery store for essentials."