The Karnataka government has roped in block level officers, who are generally deployed for election duty, to be part of surveillance teams tracking secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients in Bengaluru.
Headed by Dr Ravikumar, Special Commissioner of Projects and Health, the task force roped in the block-level officers attached with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Integrated Child Development Services (which is a part of the Women and Child Welfare and the teachers, who are generally on election duty and teachers from the Education Department. The government has constituted 1328 teams with 8146 block level officers. However, during the training program on Thursday, 3320 persons attended. "We are the first state to implement these kinds of surveillance teams for low risk and secondary contacts. Currently, we have three to four people in each ward as a part of the surveillance teams. Once we finish training for the others, they will join too. If this works, it can be used across the state," Dr Ravikumar added.
Each team will have to monitor the secondary and low risk contacts of the COVID-19 positive patients, who are under home quarantine.
"The purpose of roping in block level officers is because they know the layouts of the cities and areas where they are generally deployed for election duty. They are experienced in going door to door," Dr Ravikumar said.
The Health Department officials will map the primary and secondary contacts of the patients who are positive. The list of secondary contacts will be given to block level officers and they would have to stamp those who have to be put under home quarantine and also monitor them.
"Only when there are secondary contacts to be stamped or monitored in their respective blocks, will the BLOs have to become active. We are monitoring those who have been stamped via the Corona Watch app. The neighbours of those who are quarantined and those who are in home quarantine can call the BLOs if they start showing symptoms. The BLO will follow up with regular phone calls," Dr Ravikumar added.
Each team will report to the respective assistant revenue officers in their respective wards and these teams will be linked to the respective primary health centre in their areas.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is piloting the surveillance teams across 27 constituencies in Bengaluru. The plan was conceptualised on March 27. The Commissioners of the Department of Public Instruction KG Jagadeesha and that of the Women and Child Welfare Department, Dayanand rolled out advertisements in newspapers asking BLOs to come for the training. Auditoriums, community halls and schools that have currently been shut, were used as venues for the training program.
"Some of the BLOs did not end up coming because they had gone to their hometowns. We coordinated with the police to ensure that the BLOs could go to the venues closest to their homes and attend the training. We had arranged the seating so they maintain social distance," Dr Ravikumar added.