Team Herald
PANJIM: A day after State government announced to undertake community health survey on COVID 19 across Goa, the Congress has demanded that the exercise be done only after staff involved in the survey are certified as “corona negative.”
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Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday had announced Community Health Survey to suspected COVID-19 patients from April 13. Over 7,000 staff, including teachers, anganwadi workers, BLOs, will be involved in undertaking the household survey.
In a statement issued, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar said that the frequent contradictions and consistent flip-flops by the government in policy decisions pertaining to handling of COVID-19 Pandemic has created complete mistrust and lack of confidence in the minds of the people about Sawant-led BJP Government.
“In view of this Congress demands that the proposed Community Survey with involvement of more than 6000 staff should be undertaken only after the said staff are issued ” Corona Negative” certificates by adopting proper testing protocol,” he said.
Chodankar also demanded that the field surveyors must be given Personal Protection Equipment including masks and sanitizers, while conducting the survey.
“It is dangerous to send 6000 plus staff in various parts of Goa without conducting their personal tests and providing them with Personal Protection Equipment,” he said. Chodankar said that the workers can be carriers of virus and may lead to making things worse by infecting people in Goa.
“The high risk chances of frontline workers getting corona positive if not provided with PPE are already voiced by eminent doctors from the country,” he added.
Meanwhile, Congress has welcomed the announcement made by the Chief Minister to provide insurance cover to frontline workers and salary incentives to them.
“We only hope that these announcements don’t remain on paper, unlike commissioning of South Goa District Hospital, where work is still in progress when CM declared a week back that it is ready for use,” he added.
