ADMN FALTERED IN DEMARCATING BAPU DHAM CONTAINMENT, BUFFER ZONE: WHO REPORT

CHANDIGARH: While appreciating the initiatives taken by the UT administration in the Bapu Dham Colony containment zones, the WHO, in a report submitted with administration also highlighted the lapses related to demarcation of containment zones, sampling, data analysis and screening. WHO consultant Dr Srinivasan Selvamani presented the study to UT administrator VPS Badnore on Wednesday.

NEGATIVES

The report states, “Demarcation of containment and buffer zones in Bapu Dham Colony was not done as per the guidelines of Government of India hence there was no delineation of activities conducted in these zones.”

Daily screening of population (part or complete) was not conducted to detect positive cases and no provision for on-site sampling was made by the UT administration, the report stated.

The report also said there was no data analysis for action and feedback. “The administration did not carry out stratification of data of the positive cases and contacts for better understanding of the chain of transmission and guiding decision,” the report pointed out.

POSITIVES

The report appreciated the timely action of the administration in containing the spread of infection in the colony. The administration’s efforts for aggressive contact tracing and quarantine of contacts were cited as the best practice, which could be imitated by other states.

The imposition of strict perimeter control, setting up of Rapid Response Teams and involvement of Civil Defence as part of containment strategy was termed “good work”.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The WHO representative advised, “As pockets of Bapu Dham continue to open and the threat of re-emergence continues globally, nationally and in Chandigarh, surveillance will play an important role in identifying the early re-emergence of cases in the community.