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Special surveillance drive: 8.5 lakh houses surveyed, only 724 found with Covid-like symptoms
A special surveillance drive launched on July 2 to check for Covid-like symptoms has turned out to be a dud in its first six days. Although, the teams have been
A special surveillance drive launched on July 2 to check for Covid-like symptoms has turned out to be a dud in its first six days. Although, the teams have been able to cover close to 8.5 lakh households so far in Ghaziabad , only 724 cases of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) have been detected. The teams are likely to cover around 12 lakh houses by July 12.
Residents said that the surveillance drive lacked intent and seems to being conducted only as a matter of formality.
Under the special surveillance drive, the teams were to visit door-to-door in the entire district and survey the residents about having co-morbid conditions, and also identify those having symptoms of Covid-19 or ILI/SARI-related symptoms. The teams were required to put up markings on flats/houses that had been surveyed.
Each teams comprising of two members were assigned a target of covering 75 houses in one day and each member will be paid Rs 75 per day for the survey.
Residents, however, said that although teams did arrive at their doorsteps, they mostly restricted themselves to questions about people having symptoms like cold, cough or fever.
“The teams arrived in Kaushambi highrises and our RWAs allowed them entry. They stood at the doorstep and just asked if anyone in family has any cough, cold or fever like symptoms. They did not ask about comorbidity and no marking was done on the flats. They noted down details of people living in the houses and went away,” said VK Mittal, president of Kaushambi Apartments’ RWA.
The teams also went to highrises in Indirapuram and covered areas of Ahimsa Khand and Vaibhv Khand.
“Two people teams visit the flats and seek replies. There were no markings put up on the flats after the survey. We feel that the teams were primarily dependent on whatever information (whether correct or incorrect) was provided to them by residents. The door-to-door survey would have been better if the teams were provided with infrared thermometers and they should have been allowed to scan residents living in a flat/house. Otherwise, the survey is reduced to a mere formality,” said Alok Kumar, founder member of federation of association of apartment owners.
The first surveillance drive was launched in Meerut division — that comprises the six districts of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Gautam Budh Nagar, Baghpat, Hapur and Bulandshahr.
According to official records of the Ghaziabad district administration, total of 12,072 teams (at an average of 2012 teams being deployed each day) went out for surveys in containment and non-containment areas of the district in first six days and covered 842216 houses, covering a total population of 3631165 people living in it.
During the first six days, the teams could identify only 724 cases of ILI/SARI out of which 321 were tested and 10 have turned positive so far, officials said . They said that the results were far from satisfactory as of now, but the numbers will improve as the drive picks up steam in the remaining four days, before ending on July 12.
“There were complaints that teams were visiting houses in evening timings against fixed timing given to them. Some residents complained that there were no signs marked on surveyed houses and teams just went away after asking 3-4 questions. After this, we called a meeting of all the 237 supervisory heads and asked them to take corrective measures immediately,” said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer.
“Considering the hardship involved in the work amid peak summer season, we are of view that if 60-70% survey gets finished by the teams, a lot of ground would have been covered. The teams are trying their best to get more details from households and onus is also on residents to extend full cooperation,” Dr Gupta added.
