It is the first time in many years that the 45-year-old woman from Nagarwada has not observed fast on Saturday to mark the beginning of Ramzan. She is among the 140 COVID-19 patients in the city from the community who have been advised to skip the mandatory fast until they recover. “I feel bad that I am not able to observe Roza but I also know that it is for my good health that I must follow this advise. Our clerics have told us that we can compensate later on as we should focus on recovery first,” says the patient admitted at GMERS Gotri. Doctors from the Baroda Muslim Doctors’ Association (BMDA), who are assisting the administration in treating patients during the pandemic, have also advised the same to asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients at Ajwa ITI institute. Dr Mohammed Hussain of BMDA said, “It is the peak of summer and the fast is usually 14-15 hours long. There are high chances of dehydration and being under treatment for COVID-19, they have to follow instructions of gargles multiple times and also take their medicines during the day. Every few days, their swab samples are collected. At such a time, it is not possible to observe fast. Our focus is on achieving more recoveries as of now. The patients understood this point. It also helped that clerics like Mufti Imran from Panigate issued video messages assuring the community members that they won’t be committing any fault by skipping Rozas as of now. They can compensate by fasting after Eid as is the practice.” About 60 patients are currently at Ajwa ITI while close to 50 from the community are at GMERS. On Thursday, 45 were discharged from the COVID-19 care centre at Ajwa ITI after full recovery.
