High-rises in Greater Noida West step up testing for Covid infection

NOIDA: As Gautam Budh Nagar continues to report over 1,000 Covid-19 cases daily, the Apartment Owners’ Associations (AOAs) in the district are on their toes to ensure residents get tested in order to ensure the early detection of the virus.

On the request of AOAs in the Greater Noida west region, which houses over 70 high-rise societies with a population of over 100,000 residents, the district health department has stepped up testing by holding doorstep camps.

“Almost all high-rise societies in the Greater Noida west area have seen a spurt in cases this month. The population in many of these societies is more than 1,000 and poses a risk of spread if testing is not carried out on a war-footing. There is an urgent need to hold more testing camps for the residents at their doorsteps,” said Rahul Garg, a member of Noida Extension Flat Owners’ Welfare Association (NEFOWA).

A five-day mass testing camp is being organised between January 24 and 29 with one camp at one housing society a day.

“Each AOA is informed beforehand about the camp and a medical team is provided from the district health department that carries out the testing. The AOAs also assist the team with manpower to carry out registration of the residents,” according to Abhishek Kumar, the president of NEFOWA.

According to the district health department, the Bisrakh Community Health Centre (CHC) has been catering to the population of Greater Noida West region.

“Testing facility is available at Bisrakh CHC daily between 10am and 2pm. However, we are carrying out testing camps at high-rise societies because testing and tracing is vital to contain the spread of the virus. An average of 100 tests per day are being carried out at each camp,” said Dr Shirish Jain, additional chief medical officer in-charge of Covid sampling in Gautam Budh Nagar.

Since January 5, the health department has also organised five-day testing camps for other high-rise societies of the region.