The Health Department staff posted on district and State borders have only the barest minimum equipment to protect themselves from possible infection through travellers. They are also asked to rejoin duty for routine works such as immunisation drive after a day’s break.
If left unnoticed, this could turn out to be a serious health hazard against the backdrop of hundreds thronging the boundary areas in recent days.
Keralites stranded in other States have been allowed to come back through Inchivila in Thiruvananthapuram, Aryankavu in Kollam, Kumily in Idukki, Walayar in Palakkad, Muthanga in Wayanad, and Manjeswaram (Talapady) in Kasaragod since May 4. Ever since the lockdown norms were relaxed to allow inter-district travel, people have been travelling from one district to another.
Sources in the department say the staff in nearby primary health centres or family health centres are posted on the borders to check the body temperature of those who pass through these places. They also collect other details of the passengers. Female staff attend the duty from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. while male staff are assigned the shift between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. apart from the day duty.
After the 12-hour duty, they get a day-off. The staff are chosen for the duty on a rotation basis so that their regular work at the Public Health Centres or Family Health Centres is not affected.
A functionary of a Health Department staff union told The Hindu that they were trying their best to avoid transmission of possible infection from travellers. Carelessness on the part of the travellers, however, could turn out to be a problem, he said. Another staffer from a border area of Kozhikode district said that if an infected staffer interacted with his colleagues, and infants and their mothers who reached PHCs or FHCs for immunisation, it could pose a health risk to all of them.
Though it had been suggested that the staff on the borders be put on duty for two weeks continuously and then quarantined for 14 days, a majority in the department was not willing to go for it. They were of the opinion that such an arrangement would affect the routine work, according to sources.