Team Herald
Panjim: Amid the hike in COVID-19 cases, Goa Police has taken utmost care of the vulnerable and high-risk groups by allowing them to stay off the frontline duty. While pregnant staff have been given home stay (not home quarantine), quite a few travelling from COVID-19 affected areas have also been advised to stay home.
Police Medical Officer Dr Dattaprasad Nagvekar said among a long list of precautions issued by WHO and MHA, home stay is a precaution for the vulnerable group. For others with health history, particularly respiratory problems are posted for duty which does not involve direct contact with the public.
“Due to rising of cases in Vasco, Mangor Hill and Chimbel among others, we have given home stay to some of them,” he said, while insisting that home stay does not mean home quarantine.
“They (pregnant staff) could be prone to the infection during the travel or while on frontline duty. Few of them, on considering their situation, have been granted extended home stay,” the doctor said. The home stay varies from 7 days to 15 days or more, in certain cases.
Among those on home stay, is a handful of staff having pre-existing chronic pulmonary diseases. They too have been allowed home stay or exempted from field duty.
In the wake of cases rising in Chimbel, nearly half-a-dozen home guards hailing from the village have been advised home stay, not home quarantine. Dr Nagvekar explained that although these home guards are not close to areas where COVID-19 has been reported, they have been advised to stay at home. Similarly, a clerical staff in the office of Home Guard & Civil Defense has been allowed home stay for seven days as she travels from another COVID-19 hit taluka.
PRO Shobhit Saxena (SP) said personnel above the age of 55 years with comorbidities are not being deployed for duty in the containment zones. Moreover, on the PPE kits for the personnel, the SP said it would be ordered as per the requirement.
The Police dept along with its police medical team had been preparing health safety standards before its outbreak in India. Dr Nagvekar said instructions on the ‘Do’s and Don’ts were circulated to the police stations and units since earlier this year. “Frequent washing of hands, using hand sanitizer, properly wearing of masks, social distancing, and other guidelines are being abided by,” he said.
Unlike Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Goa Police is not keen on advising hydroxychloroquine tablets to its force.
