Health staff sore at new norms

They seek powers to enforce regulations to contain the pandemic

All efforts: The police check people at the Panampilly Nagar containment zone in Kochi on Wednesday. Thulasi Kakkat

The State government had on July 2 added more features to the Kerala Epidemic Disease Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Regulations, 2020 by imposing harsher penalties for protocol violation.

A majority of the Health Department staff, however, are sore at the move to entrust its enforcement with the police.

Two years in jail or a fine of ₹10,000 are among the punishment proposed to people who do not follow physical-distancing norms, wear face masks, and those who spit in public places. K. Remjith, general secretary, Kerala State Health Inspectors’ Federation, said the government order did not specify who were authorised to check its compliance.

“Going by the original Ordinance and the latest additional regulations, the police are entrusted with the enforcement job. Public health staff will not be authorised to collect fines,” he said. Mr. Remjith said that delegation of more powers to the ground-level staff could have made more impact as it was the health inspectors and health supervisors who spent more time in areas prone to community spread.

They keep a watch on social events such as weddings and funerals. “We are also the ones who prepare the contact list of infected persons. But lack of power to impose fines on violators reduces our job just to awareness sessions,” he said.

Mr. Remjith said that each panchayat had a health inspector and three or four junior health inspectors. Above them there were health supervisors and technical assistants at the district level. “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 authorises health inspectors and those above them to impose spot fines on violators. This helped curb the sale of tobacco in public places, especially near schools, and its advertisements to a great extent. A similar approach could be applied in enforcing COVID protocol too,” Mr. Remjith said.

Meanwhile, police personnel are also finding practical hurdles in enforcing the regulations. A senior police officer told The Hindu that fine could be imposed only after a first information report was filed. There are still many, especially from economically weaker sections, who are unaware of the new directives, and a section of officials are averse to booking charges against them.