Gurugram: 8-member team to address Covid queries of expats and overseas travellers

To ensure vigilant surveillance of overseas travellers, including expats living in the city, the district health department has formed an eight-member mobile team

To ensure vigilant surveillance of overseas travellers, including expats living in the city, the district health department has formed an eight-member mobile team to take immediate action on Covid-19 queries.

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Officials said they have been receiving 30-40 calls per day from those who have recently returned to the country, complaining about health issues and wanting to know about the quarantine and testing protocols for Covid-19. Calls are also being received from resident welfare associations (RWAs) complaining about people who are not following quarantine protocol.

According to the officials, there are at least 12,000-14,000 expats in the city. More than 4,000 people in Gurugram are currently under surveillance, including expats and Indian nationals who have travelled oversees between January and March, officials said.

Chief medical officer Dr Jaswant Singh Punia said the team was formed considering the number of calls being received from condominiums. “Expats living in the city, who have recently returned from abroad, approach us to understand the safety protocol to check spread of coronavirus. Sometimes we address their queries over the phone. If required, the team members who can converse in English are asked to visit such people and counsel them.”

He added that many calls are also received from those who work in close quarters with expats or people with international travel history. The usual requests are for their health to be examined and get tested for coronavirus, if necessary, he said.

“Many RWAs have collected details of foreign nationals in India and Indian nationals who have travelled abroad in the last two months. They also ask us to look into suspected cases,” Dr Punia said.

Based on the calls, a team reaches the site and investigates the case. “RWAs usually approach us when they see foreign nationals roaming around the society,” Punia said, stating that residents are panicking a lot. “Since people are aware that home quarantine is a must for 14 days, they approach us to take action. They inform the police as well, who later contacts us. Thereafter, the team deployed visits the condo, addresses the issue, gives counselling on home quarantine and if required takes samples.”

A member of the team said, “If we see a suspected case, we immediately call an ambulance and take the suspected case to hospital for sample collection. The step has been taken as a precautionary measure to prevent community transmission within society.”