'Containment must be stricter'

█ Central Govt team in State to review Covid-19 management

Team led by Joint Secy in Health Ministry Lav Agarwal suggests increase in micro-containment areas if needed; lauds AMC's initiatives like tie-ups with pvt hospitals for free treatment of Covid patients, Dhanvantari Rath, etc

The central government team, led by Joint Secretary in Health Ministry Lav Agarwal, lauded several initiatives of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, including the tie-ups with private hospital for treatment of Covid patients, mobile medical vans, use of Aarogya Setu app. Alongside, it also raised questions regarding the strategy of the civic body.

Here to review the measures undertaken to contain the spread of coronavirus, the team was of the opinion that work in containment areas needed to be carried out more effectively and, if need be, more areas could be demarcated as containment areas. Following the input, Orchid Paradise, a society in South Bopal in south-west zone of Ahmedabad was declared micro-containment area due to emergence of multiple cases. According to sources, there were at least six confirmed cases in the society as on Friday.


Ahmedabad is currently the worst-hit city of Gujarat, with the maximum number of cases reported from here.

The two-member team, on a day-long tour of Gujarat, visited some containment zones, a private hospital and the main control room of '108' ambulance service in the city till afternoon.

All praises for work done by AMC in city

They visited SVP Hospital in Paldi which they visited earlier in the day and were said to be impressed by the treatment given to patients. All praises for AMC's move to tie up with 50-odd private hospitals to provide free treatment to Covid patients, they reportedly opined that this model could be replicated in other parts of the country as well.

The team visited Vasantnagar township in Gota, a micro-containment zone, and collected information about steps taken by authorities to contain the spread of virus, said the officials.


The members were explained the functioning of Dhanvantari Arogya Rath (mobile clinic vans), launched earlier this month by AMC to conduct health check-up of people and distribute medicines.

The team also visited micro-containment zones in different areas, including the housing society near Mansi circle, a locality in Shahpur and another society in the Shahibaug area.

A rap for AMC

At Mansi Circle, AMC Medical Officer of Health Dr Bhavin Solanki failed to give a convincing answer when Agarwal sought to know why a particular housing society was not declared a micro-containment zone as soon as the first few cases emerged there in May-end.

"You made this (society) a micro-containment zone on June 19 or 20. If cases were emerging since May-end, why did you take these many days to declare it a micro-containment zone? What was the parameter you applied?" Agarwal asked Solanki.

Team impressed by CM's remote monitoring

In the evening, the team had a meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar at his residence. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and other senior officials were also present there. The team saw the Covid ward at Civil Hospital from the CM dashboard there. According to government's official communication, Agrawal was impressed by the dashboard and expressed satisfaction with the innovative initiative of monitoring all works.

With agency inputs

■ Vastrapur soc files PIL against micro-containment

Aresident of Satellite Centre near Mansi Circle in Vastrapur has filed a PIL in HC challenging AMC’s decision to declare the apartment a microcontainment area on June 20. The PIL was filed by Vishwas Bhamburkar through his advocate KR Koshti.

“The authorities took the decision without considering the factual matrix about Covid-19 cases at the apartment. There were 12 cases reported in May and just two more cases in June," said Bhamburkar. “Of the 12 cases, 10 have been discharged as recovered and rest of two are in hospital for further treatment. Yet, it has been declared as a micro containment zone and 940 residents have been locked up,” he added.

Society members have also objected to it. Raj Vakil, chairman of the society, said, “We are facing immense difficulties in getting essential goods, medicine etc. Most of the patients have recovered while the others are undergoing treatment in hospital."

The petition is likely to come up for hearing next week.
- NIKUNJ SONI