How you can assist in govt’s Covid fight

How you can assist in govt’s Covid fight

AlokKNMishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  20.05.2020

With the number of the novel coronavirus infections soaring, Delhi government has decided to engage volunteers from NGOs, NCC, NSS, Scouts and civil society to strengthen the fight against Covid-19. The idea is to make the fight a mass movement.

Volunteers would be roped in to survey suspected cases, for surveillance and management of isolation cases, helpline assistance, aid to senior citizens, provide support to government and temporary hospitals, besides any other services that would be required in mitigation of the disease.

People who have recovered from Covid-19 and are willing to share their experience and help the infected would also be roped in. With the number of cases crossing 50,000, the government is facing an acute shortage of manpower.

Making an appeal, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Delhi will fight coronavirus together. I appeal to all NGOs and individuals to join in this effort on a large scale.” Even lieutenant governor Anil Baijal tweeted: “Volunteers and NGOs are invited to join Delhi’s fight against Covid-19. Join hands, Together we can! They can register on “Serve as volunteer in the fight against Covid-19” on delhi.gov.in.”

Delhi government chief secretary Vijay Dev had directed the IT department to develop a portal to enable willing volunteers to register online. Only those aged between 18 and 55 may volunteer, provided they are healthy and asymptomatic. Recovered patients would also be allowed to register. “The district administration may utilise the service of these people in confidence building measures, besides other activities,” a government order stated.

All 11 district magistrates would be writing to the organisations concerned to obtain names and details of cadets of NCC, NSS and Scouts residing in their district. Volunteers of NGOs and civil service organisations would be allowed to select the district in which they want to work and be allocated work in areas where they reside.

The volunteers would be working under the district surveillance officer and given orientation to enable them to effectively carry out the tasks assigned to them. As a token of motivation, the volunteers would be given a certificate in recognition of their services in the fight against Covid-19.

Two days after TOI had reported about the shortage of manpower in Delhi government hospitals, the issue was discussed in the meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah and attended by Baijal, Kejriwal and other senior officials to review the Covid-19 situation in the city. Shah directed the officials to develop a scheme to enroll volunteers in the fight against the virus.