Caution helped Navi Mum slums stay safe

NAVI MUMBAI: Though Navi Mumbai has been battling with a surge in Covid cases since the beginning of April, the slums in the city were not much affected. The urban primary health centre (UPHC) heads credit the low number of cases there to the preventive measures and early detection of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) there.

Navi Mumbai has 4,256 active patients of which only 0.31 per cent is contributed by Indira Nagar, 0.52 per cent by Katkaripada, 0.82 per cent by Ithanpada, 0.87 per cent by Turbhe and 0.96 per cent by Chinchpada.

In the last one week, on an average, Indira Nagar has had two cases daily, Katkaripada had three cases, Turbhe and Ithanpada had five cases each.

Assistant municipal commissioner, Sanjay Kakade, said, “The patients in the slums and chawls are compulsorily isolated institutionally due to which the chances of them spreading the infection to others decrease. Meanwhile, the ones staying in housing societies mostly prefer home isolation, which we are unable to physically monitor.”

UPHC centre head of Turbhe, Dr Kailas Gaikwad, credited the preventive measures that the UPHCs took in order to control the spread. The UPHC centre heads in these areas are connected with a network of anganwadi workers and general practitioners, who report to the UPHC about anyone having the slightest of symptoms.

18-44 yrs jab in Nerul

Thane district will start vaccination for those between 18 years and 44 years from Saturday at five centres. The immunisation will be strictly through online registration and appointment. In Navi Mumbai, the centre is Maasaheb Meenatai Thackeray Hospital, Sector 15, Nerul.

BACHCHAN KUMAR/ HT Testing being carried out at APMC market, Vashi, on Friday.