Next task is to maintain Covid-free status: Bhandara district collector

Nagpur: Sandeep Kadam, IAS officer of the 2008 batch, took over as district collector of Bhandara in August last year. Covid-19 spread was fairly under control during the initial months of his tenure, but the second wave hit badly in February 2021 and Bhandara became one of the worst-hit districts in Central India by May 2021. Kadam, who believes in fieldwork, led from the front and stuck to the basics of the ‘trace, test, and treatment’ formula to make Bhandara officially Covid-free on August 6.In a telephonic conversation with TOI, Kadam said the next target is to maintain the Covid-free tag.
Bhandara has become the first Covid-free district of Maharashtra. What is the secret?
The biggest credit of becoming Covid free goes to the citizens. A majority of them followed the Covid appropriate behavior. Secondly, meticulous planning by administration and coordination in different departments of our team gave the stupendous result. We faced all types of challenges but cooperation and coordination worked for us. Our doctors, paramedic staff, Covid warriors and administrative staff deserve to applaud for this.
What was the most challenging period and how you handled it?
It was in March-end this year when the Covid curve in Bhandara started a sharp northward movement. This increase in the number of patients continued till April 18. On April 12, we reported 1,596 new cases in a day. On May 1, a total of 35 patients died during treatment. The situation was very serious. Once, we had 12,000+ patients under treatment. Schools turned into makeshift Covid centers in villages. Government buildings, community halls and even wedding halls were utilized to isolate the infected people.
Do you think test positivity rate was the biggest scare in Bhandara during the second wave?
More than 55% of tests were coming positive on April 12. Our recovery rate also reduced to 62%. The trace, test, and treat formula coupled with ‘break the chain’ restrictions worked for us. Our test positivity rate is under 0.5% for the last one and a half month. It’s officially zero from the last four days. Covid case growth rate is zero for the last four weeks. The recovery rate has increased to 98.11% now.
After becoming Covid-free, what is the next challenge for you?
To maintain this Covid-free status is a major challenge. This is the most crucial time when people should not take things casually. Third wave of Covid is round the corner and we must be prepared for that. It’s obvious for some people to think that the Covid has gone from Bhandara, but they must understand that the virus is still here. Cases are still being reported in neighboring districts.
What will be your strategy to maintain the Covid-free tag?
Strict implementation of Covid protocol will be our strategy. We will ensure that people wear masks in public places. There should be no crowding at marriage halls, marketplaces. We will penalize those who don’t wear masks. I appeal to people to follow physical distancing, wash hands regularly, and avoid unnecessary travels for a few more days.