The State Government has intensified immunization drives in rural areas along mapping of infection. The State Government has directed all district administrations to intensify vaccination in rural areas along with mapping of area stressing on testing, tracing and treatment of Corona patients. At various blocks of Ranchi districts, a task force at block and panchayat level has been constituted.
These task forces, which comprise members from Sahiya, Anganwadi Sevika, ANM workers, sakhi mandal members of JSLPS and members from self-help groups are visiting door-to-door at villages for testing, tracing of people. The team member records the temperature of people with a thermal scanner or thermometer. The team members also record the oxygen level of people who are above 40 years and those people who complain of high temperature and drop in oxygen level are asked to go for Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
If a person's RAT test is positive the person is prescribed medicines and advised to keep himself in home isolation. Moreover, in a village, if a member in a family has come from another state or district or someone passed away in the last one month, then all the members in the household are advised to go for the RAT test. The state government has set up isolation centres at panchayat levels.
Also it has been directed that the task force will also ensure vaccination drives run smoothly without any problems. The government focus is to strengthen vaccination drives so that a large number of rural populace is vaccinated as early as possible. The task forces will also be responsible for proper management of dead bodies of infected patients.
Sources said that despite the state government taking all possible steps, still a large chunk of rural population depends on village ojhas or quack for their illness rather than going to any public health care centre. In Covid pandemic too, the rural population still depends upon village ojhas or quacks for treatment.
The state government has asked all district administration to create awareness about Covid its symptoms, causes and possible treatment. The state government has asked Aaganwadi Sevikas and Sahiyas to create awareness about proper treatment of Covid patients.
Also, police teams are making inspections at village haat and markets ensuring that people follow corona guidelines properly. It has been ensured that people wear masks, use sanitizers and maintain social distance in rural areas.
Manish Kumar Gupta, in-charge of Bero police station of Ranchi on Thursday visited village haats and markets making announcements in loudspeakers about corona protocols. Gupta said, “The police team are ensuring that all follow corona guidelines properly. We are ensuring that at village haats and markets people wear masks and maintain social distancing.” Meanwhile, villagers visiting vegetable markets are happy with the police initiative of the police. Villagers claim that police should take strict action against those who don’t follow corona guidelines.