Punjab govt adopts 2-pronged strategy to monitor situation

FIRST IS TO ENSURE

CHANDIGARH : The Punjab Government is adopting a twopronged strategy against Covid-19. The first is to ensure co-ordination among different departments and another for tracking and follow-up of cases at the district level.

For coordination, a state control room, functioning from Sector 17, primarily deals with inter-department issues and also acts as the communication link between the state and the Centre. It is headed by principal secretary rank IAS officer, Rahul Tiwari. Three more senior IAS officers, Ravi Bhagat and Vipul Ujjwal, Sumit Jarangal are also part of this control room that has team of 18 officials, including two PPS rank police officials, two PCS rank administrative officials, two officials from food and civil supplies and officials from the health and family welfare department.

This works in two shifts from 5.30am, closing at 11.30pm. Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has a video conference meeting with this team once every three days.

The follow-up and tracking of cases is done at the district level by a teams that civil surgeons head. Committees have been formed for health sector response and procurement, lockdown implementation, media and communication and for agriculture & food-related issues.

The health sector and procurement committee has Dr KK Talwar and Dr Raj Bahadur as professional advisors, which would assess and review all requirement of personnel, material and infrastructure and ensure timely procurement. The Committee would also ensure provisioning of IT support needed for COVID-19 management.

The committee on media and communication would be headed by secretary, information and public relations, with Joint Development Commissioner (IRD), Director Health Services (State Epidemiologist) as members and Director Information & Public Relations as convener. These committees would meet as frequently as required and report to the COVID-19 Management Group headed by the chief secretary.