A day after Ludhiana Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) died of coronavirus, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta on Sunday ordered non-deployment of cops over 55 years or those with pre-existing medical risk on frontline jobs.
Announcing several protective and welfare measures for the police personnel on
Covid-19 duty, DGP also ordered strict compliance of his orders on weekly off or rest days of all policemen on frontline duties.
The State police chief had directed all the Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police to follow a rotational system of providing a weekly off or rest to the frontline personnel, with efforts to organize deployment in such a manner that two days of rest can be provided to all personnel after every 10 days.
He has also directed that police personnel over 55 years of age or those with pre-existing and enhanced medical risk factors, such as hypertension issues, cardiac history, asthma or a compromised or suppressed immune system for any reason, should not be deployed on the frontline, as far as possible.
To ensure protection for these police personnel, the DGP has also requested the state Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh to direct the State Health Department to provide a minimum of 4050 PPE kits or suits and 18,000 N-95 masks on immediate basis.
“At present, some PPE suits are already available with the Police department, which are being used during the performance of sensitive tasks.
However, the police officers deployed at hotspots, containment zones, clusters, isolation wards, Covid hospitals (Levels 1-2-3) need PPE suits, which are certified by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” he said.
Gupta said that the police personnel who have to come in close contact with either confirmed or suspect cases of coronavirus, while carrying out debriefing, contact tracing and tracking of Tablighi Jamaat cases etc also need such PPE kits.
Listing the welfare measures for police personnel discharging their duties amid Covid-19, the DGP said that to boost their immunity, about 1.36 lakh tablets of multi-vitamins have been distributed among the cops. The police personnel are also being provided with nutritious, rich and adequate diet, to minimize risk to those exposed to coronavirus, and also facing the threat of lowered immunity due to lack of sleep and rest.
Notably, between 43,000 to 48,000 Punjab Police personnel have been deployed in various districts of the state on different days to enforce the curfew in the State, ensure distribution of food, essential supplies and medicines, besides operating Dial 112 Helplines and Covid Helplines etc.