Sampling ramped up in Sangrur villages

Tribune News Service

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Sangrur, May 23

With various farm organisations intensifying their campaign to mobilise people for the Delhi protest against the central farm laws, senior officials are now going to villages, visiting every house to convince residents for testing, vaccination and following guidelines.

Hundreds of farmers on Sunday left for Delhi to join the protest while to date, 648 district residents have lost their lives to Covid.

As per information, all subdivisional magistrates (SDMs), senior medical officers (SMOs) along with nurses and pharmacists have been visiting the villages. In Bhawanigarh, the authorities have conducted a survey of 60,347 residents, of which 463 suspected patients were identified with various symptoms while after the rapid antigen test, 22 were found positive.

“Since Covid has started spreading in villages, we have been visiting villages daily. We are getting a positive response as now rural population has also understood the gravity of situation,” said Ramvir, Sangrur Deputy Commissioner (DC).

But in some villages, resident flee their homes after getting information about the arrival of Health Department teams for a survey. At many places, doctors have found it hard to convince residents for testing.

“Untrained staff have been deputed to take samples. My nose started bleeding as the nurse did not take the sample properly,” said a farmer. To tackle hesitancy, teams of officials have also been taking samples on roadsides and fields after finding some residents.