The Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) touring the city for the second day on Sunday lauded the steps taken by the State government to contain COVID-19 pandemic.
The Central team headed by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti Arun Baroka and comprising senior public health specialist Chandrasekhar Gadem, director of the National Institute of Nutrition Hemalatha, director of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs S.S. Thakur and associate professor of the National Institute of Disaster Management Sekhar Chaturvedi, visited several places to study the efforts taken by the government to check the spread of the virus.
GHMC Commissioner D.S. Lokesh Kumar, Hyderabad Collector Swetha Mohanty, Additional Commissioners Ravi Kiran and Praveenya, and Deputy Commissioner Ashok Samarat, were along with the Central team and explained to them about the steps taken.
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The Central team is on a three-day visit to the State to examine the conditions that led to the announcement of lockdown.
They visited Mehdipatnam Rythu Bazaar and inquired about the sale of essential commodities with shopkeepers and even checked the circles drawn as a social distancing measure in front of vegetable markets. Khairatabad zonal commissioner Praveenya told the team that 120 mobile vans, manned by SHGs, are supplying vegetables and fruits in different parts of the city.
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The team members interacted with vegetable vendors and asked them about the place from where they were buying vegetables. They were told that with the support of the marketing department, three to five farmers are bringing vegetables to the city and the same is sold in colonies with a marginal profit of ₹2 to ₹5. They checked the mobile Rythu Bazaar rate chart and expressed satisfaction.
Later, they visited the quarantine centre at Nature Cure Hospital and interacted with doctors and medical staff. They inquired about the facilities available at the hospital, facilities for COVID-19 testing lab and kits and those provided to people who are quarantined.
The Hyderabad Collector informed the team members that nutritional diet is provided to the quarantined. The team also inspected the sample testing lab. Mr. Baroka appreciated the doctors, nurses and lab technicians for their contribution.
Containment zone
The team visited the Malakpet containment zone, checked the barricades and discussed the duties performed at the zone with emergency services and health teams.
The officials at the containment zone informed the central team that public are not allowed on roads and deputed volunteers are buying essential commodities for people living under the containment zone.
They also informed that a fever survey is being conducted on a daily basis by going to every house. If COVID-19 symptoms are found in any person, tests are done with acute care, they said. The team members also checked the containment guidelines being implemented at the field level.
Team meets DGP
Earlier in the day, the IMCT visited the State police headquarters and interacted with senior officers, who gave them a detailed presentation on the work done by the police department.
Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy gave a PowerPoint presentation to the team on how the police traced COVID-19 positive patients and their primary and secondary contacts and sent them to quarantine.
He also explained about the measures being taken by the police department in providing food and other essential commodities to migrant workers, homeless and those in need of help.
He underscored on how the police are deployed at government installations and containment zones and helping pregnant women and other patients. He told them that more than a lakh vehicles were seized for defying lockdown.
The team later visited city Police Commissioner’s office and held discussions with Anjani Kumar and his team.