State looks to replicate Bhilwara model, hold door-to-door surveys

7,000 GOVT WORKERS ARE EXPECTED TO FAN OUT ACROSS THE STATE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY WITHIN THREE DAYS, FOLLOWING WHICH THE GOVT IS EXPECTED TO CRANK UP ITS TESTING CAPACITY

PANAJI: Following the Bhilwara model of containment, the Goa government will conduct a threeday statewide survey starting April 13 in a bid to ascertain the number of residents exhibiting symptoms of Influenza-like Illness, which are similar to those of Covid-19. The state will use the survey responses to then decide who all need to be tested.

Bhilwara in Rajasthan was one of the first Covid-19 clusters to emerge last month in the country, and was put under complete lockdown by the state and district authorities to contain the spread of the virus. Apart from widespread surveillance and sealing borders, the state appointed anganwadi and Asha workers, auxiliary nurse and midwives (ANMS) as corona fighters to monitor those under quarantine in the city and rural areas of the district.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said that the state had procured 2,000 new rapid testing kits (RTKS) or antibody tests to screen for potential disease clusters, in the state, which has seven positive Covid-19 patients and has been under lockdown since March 22’s Janata Curfew.

These moves come after Sawant came under some criticism for his handling of the lockdown in the state. Residents complained that they had run out of essential supplies, including milk and groceries, and the supply chain was hit after trucks from Karnataka stopped entering the state.

The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court intervened asking the state to resolve the situation after a resident moved court. Eventually Sawant had to reverse a number of decisions, allowing delivery persons to travel, restaurant kitchens to function, and grocery shops to remain open.

“The survey will be done in the whole state by going door to door. ANMS (Auxiliary nurse and midwife), anganwadi workers, teachers, booth level officers will form teams of two and visit each house. We have finalised a form to be filled which will include questions on whether a member has travelled abroad or has returned from abroad or from outside Goa in the recent past. Whether any family member is displaying influenza like symptoms, including fever, cough and difficulty breathing and if it has spread within the family,” Sawant said.

In all, 7,000 government workers are expected to fan out across the state to complete the survey within three days, following which the government is expected to crank up its testing capacity.

With the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the country’s apex health body, allowing for rapid testing for antibodies, the Goa government has tied up with a locally-based private company, Molbio Diagnostics, to procure the testing kits that will provide the test result in one hour.

Goa has two testing labs at present, including one in the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim near Panaji. It has also been sending samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune using the Navy’s help.