KOCHI: Rajisha’s (name changed) life has changed the moment she signed up as a volunteer for district collector’s control room as part of the COVID-19 campaign. Working in different shifts and attending numerous calls, she has finally realised what selflessness would bring into your life. And, she isn’t an exception. Many like her are putting their full might into tackling the novel coronavirus threat. Ever since it came into existence, the 24*7 facility has been doing its bit to alleviate the state’s concern.
“Most of us are working overnight here. While the control room functions to attend regular calls, the monitoring cell will look after individuals under home quarantine. Many callers are on the verge of tears and we employ counsellors and epidemiologists to console them. We have the facility to video conference with a doctor as well,” said Additional DMO S Sreedevi, who is in charge of the facility. Recently, they had received a call citing how the parents of a girl, who has been home quarantined, were banned from entering the church. The officials contacted the priest and sorted out the issue. Such speedy interventions make the facility effective.
“On average, we get 200 calls daily. Some days, the number shoots up to four digits. Most of us won’t even look at time schedules and often cross shifts. During a single shift, there will be 15 to 20 volunteers,” said a volunteer. Many incidents make it all worthy. “A group of college students called recently to check whether they can develop a mobile application. We shared the IT Mission’s number instantly.
Many residents’ associations call us to know about the waste treatment method for those who are under home quarantine. We explain the standard method, which is the use of bleaching powder. Use of santisers, availability of face mask or illegal conduct of coaching classes, everything is dealt with efficiently here,” he said. No matter how many calls they receive per day, the officials ensure every call is attended. “Every call is important. Our aim is to eradicate doubts and heighten vigil among the public,” said the additional DMO.
control room
On average, the control room gets 200 calls daily. Some days, it shoots up to four digits. During a single shift, there will be 15 to 20 volunteers