HYDERABAD: There are likely to be about 3,000-4,000 active Covid-19 positive patients in GHMC limits on the day of the election, i.e December 1. This is because the region has been recording at least 150-200 cases each day. This staggering number of patients is likely going to add to the logistical difficulties of polling officers.
They have to ensure that voters who are infected get to cast their votes without affecting others. Polling stations too have to be prepped accordingly in the next 12 days. It is being estimated that of the 3,000 +ve voters, nearly 1,500-2000 are likely to cast their votes. In the recent Dubbaka elections, over 1,300 voters including Covid patients, persons with disabilities and senior citizens opted for postal ballots.
“We conducted the postal ballots ahead of the polls by first identifying all the patients intending to vote. A tour schedule was planned as all of their homes had to be visited in the vehicles which had the ballot boxes and the polling officer and gunmen,” informed an official involved in elections at Dubbaka constituency.
Eleven patients who voted on the day of the elections in PPE kits, had to be transported from their homes to the polling station via ambulance and supplied with PPE kits. These measures would prove to be a herculean task in Greater Hyderabad which has nearly 63 key containment zones, most of which belong to different wards across five GHMC zones and 18 circles.
Meanwhile, State Election Commission officials said they will release an action plan soon so that Covid +ve voters, senior citizens and the disabled would be able to vote.
Virus-hit
In Telangana, Covid positive patients have to be in home isolation for 17 days. Since November 14, 844 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in GHMC limits. GHMC at present has 63 containment zones
TSEC appoints observers for GHMC polls
The TSEC on Wednesday appointed six General Observers for the GHMC polls. The six observers include School Education Department Director A Sridevasena (LB Nagar zone), Special Secretary to Government, Tribal Welfare Department E Sridhar (Charminar zone), Joint Secretary to Environment, Forests, Science and Technology M Prashanti (Kukatpally zone), Industries Commissioner K Manicka Raj (Khairatabad zone), AIDS Control Society Director Preeti Meena (Serilingampally zone) and PR & RD Department Deputy Secretary Aisha Masrat Khanam (Secunderabad zone)
Woman dies in queue at Mee Seva Centre
Hyderabad: A 50-year-old woman died, reportedly due to cardiac arrest, while standing in a queue at a Mee Seva Centre on Wednesday to apply for the State government’s financial assistance as part of flood relief activities. The woman, Meharunnisa, a resident of Golconda, had arrived at the Mee Seva Centre in the morning on an empty stomach in the hope that she would not have to wait in queue for long. After waiting for five hours, she collapsed while standing in the queue and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced her brought dead. However, no case has been registered with the police as it was a natural death. The body was handed over to family member for further proceedings.