More testing to welfare push: TN’S Covid plan
STRATEGY As part of its 5-point action plan, state has ramped up tracing, kept up supplies
BENGALURU: The first week of April has been brutal for Tamil Nadu in its fight against the coronavirus disease. The number of Covid-19 cases in the state has multiplied by more than 10 times, from 67 at the end of March to 690 as of Tuesday, April 7. Of these, 637 are linked to those returning from the Tablighi Jamaat conference held in mid-march at the Islamic missionary group’s Markaz headquarters in Delhi’s Nizamuddin, which has emerged as the biggest Covid-19 hot spot in India.
Here are five ways in which the Tamil Nadu government has acted to bring the situation under control.
SURVEILLANCE AND CONTAINMENT
Chennai is one of the 10 cities worst affected by Covid-19 in India, recording at least 149 cases. On April 5, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) launched a 90-day, door-to-door survey of every household in the city to check residents for Covid-19 symptoms. Nearly 16,000 healthcare workers clad in personal protective equipment will visit close to a million buildings in the city to create a disease database, SP Velumani, the minister for municipal administration, rural development and special programme implementation, said.
Those with symptomswould be taken to the closest Covid-19 medical facility. Following what is now referred to as the Bhilwara model, based on the ruthless manner in which the Rajasthan town was locked down in March to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease, Chennai has sealed high-risk areas that reported multiple Covid-19 cases. Nine areas of the city that accounted for nearly 20 cases have been declared containment zones. Areas within a five-kilometre radius of such neighbourhoods are completely isolated, disinfected daily and citizens are simply not allowed to leave their homes.
RAMPED-UP TESTING
The government’s testing and isolation efforts, until the return of Tablighi Jamaat congregation attendees led to a spike in the number of coronavirus cases, were focused largely on air passengers and those with a history of overseas travel.
Rather than stigmatise the attendees, the government started a helpline towards the end of March so that they could identify themselves and seek testing. This has worked in favour of the state: around 1,431 attendees have been traced so far. Because many are from rural areas, the state has directed its identificat i on ef f orts t here. After a go-ahead from the Indian Centre for Medical Research for using antibody tests which return quicker results, CM Edappadi
Palaniswami announced on April 5 that the state had placed an order for 100,000 rapid test kits. State health officials said that a bulk of the kits would be sent to smaller towns and rural areas.
ESSENTIALS SUPPLIED The effectiveness of the lockdown depends in large measure on the state’s ability to deliver essential goods and services to people in a manner that keeps them safe at home. The state’s well-oiled Public Distribution System (PDS), Amma Canteens and welfare schemes have helped no doubt, but the smooth supply of vegetables has been one of Tamil Nadu’s biggest successes in the crisis.
The government has set aside ~ 3,280 crore for measures such as a ~1,000 cash support scheme and delivering free rice, lentils and cooking oil through PDS outlets. In many parts of the state, local authorities deliver a three-kilo weekly supply kit of vegetables for a nominal ~100. To ease the strain on the health care system, the CM has also announced a subsidy of 30% on capital investment with a cap of ~20 crore for new manufacturers of ventilators, masks, drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and vitamin C t ablets. He also announced sops for farmers, including a waiver of cold storage user fee.
FARMER COOPERATIVES Four months ago, Tamil Nadu handed over a large part of the management of the fruit and vegetable supply chain to farmer producer companies (FPC). FPCS are for-profit cooperatives that can be formed with 10 or more farmers as shareholders. Such cooperatives now run nearly 10 primary processing centres (PPCS) in the big horticultural regions such as Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri. Since the FPC are farmer-owned companies, they find it easier to procure vegetables at a price that is fair to both farmers and consumers.
The farmer cooperatives are now playing a big role in door-delivering pre-packaged five-kilo vegetable boxes for ~250 in cities like Chennai and Coimbatore. The horticulture department has started its own e-commerce door delivery platform a few days ago that makes 1,000 deliveries a day in Chennai.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
In order to ease overcrowding, Tamil Nadu converted bus stations in towns and cities into vegetable markets. To manage social distancing and avoid chaos and crowding, nearly 60 farmers’ markets were relocated to bus stands that are now empty because of the lockdown. “The concrete flooring of the bus stands makes it easier to disinfect; bus stands are usually centrally located; and the large open architecture of bus stands make it easier to install disinfectant tunnels and prevent physical contact between people,” Bedi said.