South civic body to prepare additional quarantine, isolation wards

As the number of novel coronavirus cases witnesses a surge across the country, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has geared up to prepare additional emergency

As the number of novel coronavirus cases witnesses a surge across the country, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has geared up to prepare additional emergency quarantine centre and isolation wards at its community centres located near Delhi airport.

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The south corporation has asked its officials to identify and prepare community centres, which are spacious and located near the airport, for use as quarantine and isolation wards, if need be. Till date, six people in Delhi have tested positive for the coronavirus.

“Cases of coronavirus are increasing in the country everyday, so it is prudent to make extra arrangements and prepare for an emergency situation. Directions have been issued to identify community centres which are located near the airport and are spacious so that these could be developed into quarantine centres. Isolation wards would also be made at the hospitals and community centres to tackle any crisis,” a senior official of the SDMC’s health department said.

He further said that the arrangements to procure beds and other necessary materials for treatment and creation of wards has been started.

The official added that quarantine centres will be for people who are healthy but vulnerable to the virus. The isolation ward will be for the infected with the virus and need treatment.

There are 104 wards in SDMC and areas located near the airport fall under two zones – south zone and Najafgarh zone. There are 21 community centres in the south zone while 12 in the Najafgarh zone.

Another SDMC official said that the exercise to create quarantine wards at community centres will be in addition to what the SDMC is doing at its hospital and dispensaries in connection with coronavirus prevention.

“We have already started creating an isolation ward of 30 beds at Poornima Sethi Hospital in Kalkaji and are preparing to create a similar facility at our Tilak Nagar hospital. All these arrangements are for emergency situation only. If the number of COVID-19 patients rises suddenly, then patients can be shifted to these wards and quarantine centres,” he said.

The SDMC has already issued advisory to hotels and guest houses on coronavirus and asked such property owners to maintain detailed records of foreign nationals visiting the city. They have also been asked to maintain records of Indians,who have come from countries affected with the virus.

The SDMC has also started intensive awareness campaigns by distributing pamphlets carrying information about the symptoms and prevention of coronavirus.

Other than this, the central government had also issued a “COVID-19 Containment Plan” in which the local bodies have to cover each household in a containment zone of 3 km and a buffer zone of 5 km around every confirmed positive case of the virus.