Worry as 57 RPF men contract virus

Tribune News Service

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Ludhiana, May 26

In all, 57 personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) have tested positive for Covid-19 in Ludhiana. Of these, 48 are posted in Delhi and belong to the 6th Battalion of the RPF, while nine are posted in Ludhiana.

The Delhi battalion had come to Ludhiana on May 7 for special duty to manage Shramik trains. It consisted of 79 men.

Ever since their arrival in Ludhiana, four of the RPF personnel were not feeling well. They went to the Railway hospital and were asked to take the swab test.

Two out of the four men tested positive on May 9. The entire unit was quarantined after this at the meritorious school here.

“We have been trying to locate their source. We came to know that one of the RPF personnel had gone to admit a Covid-positive patient to hospital in Delhi. This can be the probable source of the infection. The entire battalion was staying in barracks and then travelled to Ludhiana by train. There’s a possibility of contracting the virus in the train, but handling a positive patient is likely to be the reason,” said Dr Rajesh Bagga, Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana.

The entire Ludhiana-based unit of the RPF was placed under home quarantine. Strangely, RPF personnel, posted in Ludhiana or Delhi, are not being counted in the state tally.

Civil Surgeon Dr Rajesh Bagga said they would not be counted in the Ludhiana tally as they came from Delhi and their source of infection was also from there.

“In addition to this, we are not counting the Ludhiana-based RPF men in the district tally as of now. I have written to the state headquarters to issue instructions in this regard,” he said.

“We are requesting the government that they should be sent back home after 14 days of quarantine as they don’t have a home here,” he added.