The Hibiscus turns to its doctors for safety measures

As city authorities step up efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus, residents of The Hibiscus in Sector 50 are turning to their resident doctors to decide on

As city authorities step up efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus, residents of The Hibiscus in Sector 50 are turning to their resident doctors to decide on the best course of action.

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Members of the residents’ welfare association (RWA) say they enlisted the help of the doctors after at least two Covid-19 cases were reported from their sector, and constituted a Covid team comprising four doctors and three residents.

Dr Punit Dilawari, an orthopaedic surgeon, one of the doctors on the team says the key steps taken by the condominium focused on social distancing, restricting movement in and out of the society, and creating sanitising stations.

“We set up wash stands at the two entry points, making it mandatory to wash hands with soap. No resident is to step out, unless there is an emergency. Also, we have formed a group of volunteer doctors, who have taken it upon themselves to treat sick residents. They are recommended to go outside only if it is a medical emergency and requires hospital admission,” said Dilwari.

Two representatives from each of the 12 buildings have been designated, for 800 residents of the society. For any lockdown related queries, residents have been asked to connect with their representatives, who would then raise their issues with the pertinent authorities. Also, each villa on the premises has one representative.

Cutting down on movement of staff was one of the first steps taken in the residency to reduce the risk of virus spread. The residency cut down on its active staff by 70% and accommodating them in vacant apartments and the sparsely-occupied EWS (economically weaker sections) complex.

“Most of our helpers come from a slum near Tigra village. They work in surrounding condominiums and residencies, where positive cases occurred. So, it was best to cut down on their movement to keep ourselves safer. We have restricted the entry of household helps and drivers into the society for the past 10-12 days,” said Sanjay Gupta, president of the RWA.

Security personnel have also been decreased at the gates, common areas and at the estate office, he said.

The staff have been given paid leaves by the RWA and residents were advised to provide paid leaves to their helpers. The society is also planning to build a support fund to provide monetary aid to the staff and helps.

Chintamani Rao, a senior citizen who has been residing in the complex for five years with his wife, said, “Living without any help is difficult. We have to manage the chores ourselves. We can take walks around the society, but one has to be responsible while doing it and ensure distance is maintained. We are lucky to have huge open spaces to walk and sit.”

He said that in this day and age, keeping in touch with relatives and friends, while in quarantine, is easy through the use of phone, emails, messaging apps and such.

A strict ban has also been imposed on the entry of delivery persons inside the residency. All deliveries are received at the gate by the residents concerned, who have been advised to ensure stringent safety measures while handling the packages. Measures are also in place at the grocery store, where perishables like dairy products are kept aside for at least 12 hours before being sold, said Dilwari.

As there is just the one grocery store on the premises, residents have been advised to forward their list of items to the shop, through their building representatives. “The list is made a day in advance and then given to the shopkeeper. This system ensures that supplies are ready when residents go to the shop. The items are also reserved in advance this way,” said Himani Pudir, who is a building representative.

At the store, boxes have been drawn on the floor to ensure social distancing among those waiting in line.

The residency has been running a nine-step waste segregation programme since 2019. With a surge in the use of masks, the society has seen an increase in disposable masks in its waste. Attempts are being made by the RWA to urge residents to switch to washable masks. “We are requesting residents to opt for washable masks to reduce waste but that is going to take a while,” said Pudir.