ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY
Struggling to contain COVID-19, Maharashtra government mandates MSRDC to prepare a comprehensive document to handle similar infectious diseases in the future
The Maharashtra government, which is struggling to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, will prepare a comprehensive documentation to handle similar infectious diseases in the future. The documentation will be prepared by the state-run Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). Relief and Rehabilitation Secretary Kishor Raje Nimbalkar, on Monday, issued notification giving a mandate to MSRDC for the proposed documentation, which can be used as a ready reckoner in the future.
MSRDC vice chairman and managing director Radheshyam Mopalwar said that Maharashtra was one of the first states to take note and proactive steps to face the challenge of COVID-19. ‘’The Chief Minister held the first meeting to initiate action as a response to the imminent danger of the pandemic as early as January at MSRDC. There was no health emergency faced by the world of the size and complexity of COVID-19 after the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. Therefore, no documentation or SOP is available on the preparedness and response for a pandemic of this magnitude,’’ he noted.
Mopalwar said the state government has assigned responsibility to the MSRDC of documenting the response of the government, local bodies, public and all the stakeholders. “It is expected that this documentation will serve an important source material in the future. It is a big task and we will try to complete it in six months,’’ he added.
MSRDC’s mandate included the compilation of information based on the interaction with the officers and staff deployed in the Corona Control Room and also senior administrative officers assigned the work of coordination with regards to the COVID-19 containment strategy. Further, it will collect information relating to the reports prepared by ministerial and expert groups to restore normalcy at all level.