Duty comes first for this braveheart in battle against Covid-19

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 16

At a time when people prefer to stay indoors fearing Covid-19 infection, a few bravehearts such as Municipal Corporation’s junior assistant Vivek Mehta are visting houses of those under quarantine and interacting with them.

Mehta is a leader of one of the four contact tracing and quarantine teams formed under Additional Commissioner Anil Kumar Garg, who is the nodal officer. His job involves visiting houses which are to be quarantined and obtain details from them.

“Recently, we went to the house of the PU assistant professor after he was found positive for Covid. I was talking to his mother-in-law to get details of more contacts and the next day we got to know that she has also tested positive. We were taken aback, but with time these things are becoming normal for us,” shares Mehta.

Initially, a team used to cover 25-30 houses in a day for quarantining. Now, it’s quite less. A team has eight members, which leaves from the MC’s building in two different cars after getting the morning briefing from the nodal officer. Garg calls up or meets the Covid positive patient and the doctor concerned to know about his contacts. The info is then shared with the four team heads, namely Vivek Mehta, DP Singh, Vijay Bahadur, Paramvir Thakur, who submit their reports in the evening.

“When our team visits a house, not only its occupants, but even neighbhours get fearsome. Most people cooperate with us, but some start fighting. Then, we make them understand that it is for their own good we are doing this. We also have a family and we also fear the virus, but its part of our job,” he said.

Mehta asks questions about their travel history, whom they met and the places they visited in the city. Another team member puts a stamp on the hand of a quarantined person, another person sanitises the stamp, one clicks a pic and one pastes quarantine poster outside the house. Each team comprises a policeman as well.

“I would say all members are daredevils. There were a few members, who stopped coming after three-four days. Even our other colleagues appreciate our effort and we get satisfaction as we all feel working like a soldier these days. “Initially, my family asked me why you’re doing this, why not anybody else. I told them someone has to do it, why not me,” smiles Mehta.

After reaching home in Sector 19, he immediately removes his clothes puts them in hot water for washing, sanitises his phone and other belongings and finally takes a shower.