Gurugram: MCG engages RWAs in fight against Covid

Gurugram: For better management of local issues in efforts in the fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on

Gurugram: For better management of local issues in efforts in the fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on announced Friday that they have empowered residential welfare associations (RWAs) with some authorities to help combat the spread of the pandemic in the city.

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MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said from now on, the task of putting up display boards outside homes of people listing out details such as addresses and names of persons who are under isolation there, has been assigned to the RWAs.

“It was the MCG which used to put up posters outside houses of coronavirus patients who were under home isolation, so that people living around them became aware and kept a safe distance. Handing over this responsibility to RWAs will limit chances of errors in the names and addresses of patients as well as help avoid chances of boards being placed on the wrong houses. In addition, the information will help them coordinate better with health care workers and volunteers for check-ups of such patients, as well as for waste collection from outside their homes, among other such issues,” said Singh.

RWA representatives, meanwhile, hailed the move, saying it would help them better fight issues of Covid control measures.

“The announcements by MCG is to decentralise actions in the fight against Covid-19 a step further. Authorising us is a better move as instead of RWAs reaching out to MCG or the administration for petty queries, as we can address and undertake issues of residents much more swiftly now. In addition, being aware of localised issues is another advantage,” said Dhruv Bansal, spokesperson for the Gurgaon Citizens’ Council, an umbrella body of RWAs in the city.

The decision was announced during a press conference at the Public Works Department rest house in Gurugram’s Civil Lines on Friday. Deputy commissioner Amit Khatri and divisional commissioner Ashok Sangwan were also in attendance.

According to MCG officials, the civic body has so far put up home isolation boards outside more than 2,500 houses in the city. Besides the name and address of the patient, the boards also stated the start and end dates between which the person was to be under quarantine.

OTHERS STEPS TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY RWAs

Singh also said that RWAs for areas falling under containment zones have been directed for mapping persons, such as senior citizens, children below the age of 10, pregnant women and people with health conditions so that “their daily monitoring can then be done by respective RWAs,” he said.

Another key point, Singh stated that the office bearers and staff members of the RWAs will now supplement regulating entry and exit points within containment zones either entirely or partially, depending on their capacity, by placing their own security guards at such points.

So far this was being managed by the district administration and the Gurugram police.

He added that the RWAs will now coordinate with the MCG to ensure that bio-medical waste is collected twice a week as per the fixed schedule.

Singh further said the MCG, along with the district administration, is closely working with RWAs to establish isolation centres in their respective areas and an SOP by the administration will be issued within a week on the matter.

“At least 10 RWAs across the city have come forward and started establishing isolation centres within their respective condominiums and societies. Such centres can play a crucial role if the city faces a situation where there is an acute shortage of hospital beds. We are assisting RWAs in this regard and informing them about the essential items they need to keep ready in their respective centres while health workers, doctors, and volunteers will also be allocated to them for assistance,” said Singh.