Officials, residents laud reversal of isolation SOP in Delhi

The new rule of mandatory visits to CCC for clinical assessment was put into effect on Monday, when the director-general of health services (DGHS) of Delhi notified the L-G’s directions, till it was revoked on Thursday after a meeting of the DDMA.

District administration officials, residents’ welfare groups and health experts on Thursday welcomed the reversal of an order that had made it mandatory for every individual testing Covid-19 positive in a swab test to be taken to a Covid Care Centre (CCC) for aclinical assessment of the symptoms.

CM Kejriwal and deputy CM Sisodia during an interaction with health care staff of Lok Nayak hospital on Thursday. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT photo)

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), chaired by lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal restored the old system on Thursday whereby health officials will first establish contact with the patient through telephone, inquire about symptoms and then send a team to the residence of patients, following which a call is taken on whether the individual remains in home isolation or is shifted to a hospital/quarantine centre.

The new rule of mandatory visits to CCC for clinical assessment was put into effect on Monday, when the director-general of health services (DGHS) of Delhi notified the L-G’s directions, till it was revoked on Thursday after a meeting of the DDMA.

While the Delhi government vehemently opposed the L-G’s order, saying it would lead to chaos, at least 50 residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) too had written to Anil Baijal on Wednesday urging him to withdraw the order. The RWAs had said instead of asking every patient to go to CCCs, which involved the risk of spreading the infection, the government should start tele-consultation services for asymptomatic and mild patients.

Several district revenue officials, in charge of the implementation of all covid-related policies and standard procedures in their districts, on Thursday said Monday’s direction had given rise to a logistical nightmare.

The implementation of the rule required that the city’s 163 dedicated Covid ambulances to make an average of 18 trips every day ferrying people from their homes to CCCs.

“This was impossible. We had started implementing the guidelines but there was huge resistance from the people. The ones with mild symptoms did not want to go to Covid centres at all. We were wasting a lot of time in making them understand that this was no longer a choice but a rule,” a district magistrate, who did not wish to be identified, said.

The crisis was such that at least two districts had even written to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) asking for buses for transportation of patients. A few other districts had hired private vans for the purpose.

Another district magistrate, again not wishing to be named, said, “We did our best to implement the rule. We succeeded to some extent over the past four days, but we were not sure for how long we could have carried on with things as they were. The revocation of the order is a big relief.”

With the guidelines now revoked, district officials said they can focus on strengthening surveillance teams, ramping up health care infrastructure and carrying out two major surveys, which have tight deadlines. One is the health screening of residents in 260-odd containment zones of the city that needs to be completed by June 30, and the other is a comprehensive health survey of the rest of Delhi that needs to be completed by July 7, as per the recommendations of Union home minister Amit Shah, later notified by the DGHS through an order issued on Monday.

After Thursday’s decision, Baijal also emphasised on developing a “robust surveillance mechanism by Delhi’s health department.”

Jugal Kishore, head of community medicines department in Safdarjung hospital, said, “The mandatory visits to CCCs had two issues. First, it was a logistical nightmare. Second, it increased chances of local transmission. The districts can now focus on strengthening the health care system and better surveillance.”

Resident welfare groups said the reversal would calm down anxieties and motivate more people to get tested.

“People were fearing the idea of being sent to Covid centres, even for a clinical assessment. But the government must ensure that their health officials visit each patient’s house in time. We have come across a lot of complaints that this is not the case and the government should take note of that,” BS Vohra, president of the federation of resident welfare associations in east Delhi, said.