TIRUPUR: A group of COVID-19 patients walked out of the Siddha Covid Care Centre on Kangayam Road and staged a demonstration on Friday accusing the health department of supplying them with food of a poor quality.
Alleging that they have been forced to stay perennially hungry, the protesters said that the quantity of food in the packets distributed to them was insufficient. The rice and vegetables are uncooked and the department failed to provide biscuits during the tea time, they alleged. They claimed that leftover rasam and sambar were being served to them.
During the protest, the patients launched a broadside against the department after some of the patients found dead houseflies in the rasam. A video clip in which they narrate their grievances was released on social media by the patients.
"Most of the time food packets are given to only around 70 patients out of 100. The rest are forced to starve," a patient in his 50s alleged.
"We are worried about our stay at the facility. This is the treatment being meted out to the poor," another patient complained.
Tirupur-based activist C Nandhagopal said the issue had been simmering for the past few days. "No officials have intervened to solve it despite being informed several times," he said.
When contacted, Tirupur's Deputy Director of Health Services K Jagadeesh Kumar said that he would look into the issue immediately and resolve it. Asked whether he was aware of the grievances, Jagadeesh claimed he had not been informed of them.
Upon visiting the facility on Friday, Tirupur South Tahsildar Sundaram held talks with a few patients on the issue.
Late Friday night, Tirupur Collector K Vijakarthikeyan, on Twitter said, "This unfortunate event was sorted, and hopefully (will be) the last time!"