Covid-19: Gurugram health department cancels leaves of all medical, paramedical staffers

More than 1,200 district health department workers, including doctors and paramedics, had their official leaves cancelled following two confirmed cases of novel

More than 1,200 district health department workers, including doctors and paramedics, had their official leaves cancelled following two
confirmed cases of novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) reported in Gurugram.

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In a letter circulated on Thursday to all the districts, the director of general health services directed the chief medical officers to cancel the leaves of medical, paramedical and other staff given the current scenario.

In Gurugram, more than 150 doctors in all health centres, 775 contractual workers including paramedics, technicians, laboratory assistants, and 300 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) have been directed to be on alert.

The letter was circulated to all health centres in urban and rural areas of the district after two confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported in the city.

On Wednesday, a 26-year-old employee in Paytm’s Gurugram office tested positive for the virus. Of the company’s 91 employees, 71 live in Gurugram. In the other case reported from Udyog Vihar, there are 535 employees in the company the patient works for; 146 of them live in the city.

Officials said a rapid response team has reached out to all Gurugram-based employees in the two firms to take stock of their health condition and trace anyone susceptible to the virus.

“The rapid response team at the district-level will have to contact the Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), which have pertinent information for the surveillance of any suspected case. This would help in a timely response, which is critical for managing the disease,” Punia said. Under the district health department are 19 PHCs and 13 CHCs in the urban areas. “In the current scenario, effective coordination is required ,” he said.