With the State witnessing a massive spike in COVID-19 cases, Director-General of Police (DGP) D. Gautam Sawang has directed police officers and personnel to take all measures to prevent its spread.
The Commissioners, DIGs, Superintendents of Police and other officers were instructed to check the steps being taken at police stations in handling the petitioners, supply of sanitisers, masks, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, head guards, maintaining social distance. A chart with ten principles to prevent coronavirus has been distributed to all the police stations across the State.
The officers were asked to meet the family members of the personnel who have contracted COVID, conduct tests, supply medicines, ration and help them in all aspects. Focus should be laid on aged persons and pregnant women, and shift them to hospitals, Mr. Sawang said.
Nodal officers
“We are monitoring the positive cases and meeting their family members. Regular health check-up is being conducted for all police personnel and their family members and tallying with the data available under the Arogya Bhadratha Scheme with the department. Instructions have been given not to allot duties to the policemen aged 55 years and above and those who are suffering from long-term ailments,” the DGP said.
About 1,500 policemen, including a few IPS officers, had got affected and of them, 11 have died in the last 40 days. Nodal officers have been appointed to track the patients in each district. Treatment was being provided in more than 30 hospitals to such personnel, the DGP said.
The Commissioners of Police, Deputy Inspector Generals DIG) and SPs were asked to coordinate with the team of doctors for providing best treatment to the patients.
Family welfare desks have been set up in each district and regular counselling was being given on COVID-19 preventive measures, maintaining oxygen levels in blood and immunity levels, with the help of an NGO, Viswa Manavatha Samstha. Top police officers were attending virtual meetings with the SPs and monitoring the situation from time to time, said DIG (Police Welfare) P.V.S. Ramakrishna said.
“We gave suggestions on crisis management, crowd regulation and crowd management to the DSPs, Station House Officers (SHOs) and SIs,” Mr. Ramakrishna said.
DIG (Technical Services) G. Pala Raju said the positive cases which were just 45 by middle of June, rose to 1,500 in a span of almost one month, Markaz and Koyambedu cases and the lockdown ended.
“We are providing Ayurvedic, Homeopathy and allopathy medicines to the patients,” Mr. Pala Raju said.
Mr. Sawang said oximeters were supplied to all stations and the SHOs were instructed to take up breathing exercises and provide hot water to the patients. “I spoke to the family members in some cases. The department will stand by the policemen and help them during the pandemic,” the DGP said.
