Odisha: One teacher to monitor 1,000 people for Covid-19 in Bargarh district

BHUBANESWAR: The Bargarh district administration in western Odisha has decided to assign one teacher per 1000 people for surveillance of covid cases and monitoring of vaccination drive in the district.
Chief district medical and public health officer (CDM&PHO) Arun Patra on Tuesday said in view of rising cases and shortage of manpower, teachers would be of great help. “Earlier panchayat representatives were helping in such a move.But with rural polls announced, they would not be available now,” he said.
Citing decision taken at the district magistrate level, the CDM&PHO wrote to district education officer Mitrabhanu Kachhap to allot covid duty to the school teachers.
As per the plan, the teachers will be allotted an area each where they visit house to house and interact with people on a daily basis to identify people with suspected symptoms, encourage and guide them to get tested in a nearest testing centre. For covid positive people, they will discuss the health status, supply them covid (medicine) kits and apprise to the health authorities in case needed. They would also identify people who have not been vaccinated so that their vaccination can be planned in a suitable manner.
In the first two waves, teachers in various districts had helped in managing covid care centres and surveillance of influenza like illness and severe acute respiratory illness.
Various other districts too have been planning to use teachers in covid care. “Presently we haven’t included any school teachers for COVID-19 activities but in case of necessity as the cases go up further we may consider to include them,” Said Tapiram Majhi, project director, District Rural Development Agency, Jharsuguda.