A large number of police officials, administrative officers, and other frontline workers are defeating the deadly disease and have gone beyond the call of duty in saving the lives of COVID-19 victims. 

They are dynamic, they are ingenious, open-minded and above all, they are handy to perform any given task

Needless to say, police officers and other frontline workers are at greater risk of contracting the virus. 

Following are tales of an IPS officer and an IAS officer who went beyond their capacity to limit the spread of COVID in their respective district that they are responsible for. 

IPS officer Sachin Sharma

Unlike millions of people who can work from home, Police Officers are on the front to keep the public safe. 

Despite the daily surge in COVID-19 cases in India, some districts and villages are managing to stay safe, owing to campaigns and initiatives that a few officers have been implementing. What keeps the villages safe from the virus is self-vigilance. 

One such officer is IPS Sachin Sharma, Superintendent of Police, who introduced a campaign called, Mera Gaanv, Meri Zimmedari” (my village, my responsibility). Sachin Sharma wanted to ensure that Chhatarpur remains safe and the number of active cases remains low.

Over 800 villages took part in his campaign and are now benefitting from it. “We identified 15-20 volunteers from each village between the age group of 18-30 to begin with. These volunteers are involved in round-the-clock patrolling, and convincing people to stay within the village and not step out for any reason”, said Sharma.

Active cases in Chhatarpur

As on Tuesday,  the district recorded only 51 COVID-19 cases in the 1000 plus villages in Chhatarpur that fall under this campaign. “There have also been cases of people with mild symptoms, who have been able to work on recovery at home,” said Sharma. 

Self-Vigilance is the need of the hour

Sharma also explained how the natives of the villages remain vigilant about those coming into their villages. 

How did Sharma bring the cases under control? Here’s how......

The village followed a strict protocol. Anyone entering the village from other places must be in mandatory isolation for 8 to 14 days, depending on the symptoms they manifest. 

Self-realization and acceptance is the best cure.
 The villagers show we are in this together. Respect!!!

The villagers have taken it upon themselves to manage these isolations. “While some people are isolated in government buildings, others are in vacant plots within the village,” he adds.

To ensure that people stay indoors…..

IPS Sharma launched “Sankalp”, a campaign that helps senior citizens procure their daily vegetables, groceries, medicines, and more. “We understand that senior citizens are most susceptible to the virus. A lot of them live by themselves, given that their children are either doing jobs in other cities or are out to study. We have identified close to 3,000 such people and are providing them with all the help they require,” said Sharma. 

Under the campaign, services such as setting up tele-medicine appointments, getting masalas made from the local shops, and recharging their mobile phones and television set-top boxes are also offered. 

The data by CoronaIndia Tracker shows as of today, only one active case has been registered in the Chhatarpur district. 

Nandurbar’s District Collector Dr. Rajendra Bharud

Maharashtra was severely hit during the first wave of the pandemic. Ever since then, the focus of the state has been how to safeguard the city from not facing the crisis again. 

Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, with a population of 16 lakhs, now has adequate resources to not only help people of its district but also the nearest located districts. All thanks to Dr. Rajendra Bharud. 

How did he help?

Until 2019, the tribal district did not have a single liquid oxygen plant or tank. In September 2020, Nandurbar Collector Dr. Bharud established an oxygen plant at the district hospital for Rs 85 lakh. 

In January and February 2021, he helped set up two more oxygen plants. Rajendra ensured that he had to make the district self-reliant with regards to oxygen requirements when 190 patients were affected in Nandurbar during the first wave. 

“I wanted to be prepared in case we witnessed something similar. So in September 2020, we installed the first oxygen plant in the District, which could produce 600 litres of oxygen per minute, even though our highest single-day spike was only 190 cases,” added the Collector holds an MBBS degree. 

“Soon, we will have plants with a combined capacity of 3,000 litres per minute. Our plants directly extract air and provide oxygen through pipes to the patients,” said Dr. Rajendra.

Not all heroes wear capes

Money was crucial in setting up the plants, oxygen beds, and other required sources, says Dr. Rajendra. With the help of distinct planning and development funds, state disaster relief funds, and CSR, he managed to set up a robust healthcare infrastructure. 

Rajendra made sure that the vaccination drive is carried out effectively. He also ensured that doctors should not face any kind of pressure in regards to resources, even if that meant spending Rs 85 lakh per oxygen plant.

Active cases in Nandurbar

The district has been faring well by slashing the cases to 30%. From 1200 cases every day, the district now only sees 300 actives cases. 

Other states can learn from such initiatives to ensure they keep the Covid active cases low while continuing to go about their daily chores. The fight is still on and we need to ensure no one faces it alone. A huge salute from NextBigWhat to these unheard #Covidheroes 

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