KOZHIKODE: Three models introduced by the Kozhikode district administration in COVID surveillance have been expanded to the entire state. The COVID-19 Jagratha portal (covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in) was the parent one, followed by the QR code scanning facility and the boat/vessel permit registration -- both incorporated into the portal.
The significance and utility of the system was proven beyond COVID management with the facility enabling ambulances to rush to the Kozhikode plane-crash site and aiding the fisheries department to monitor boats and fishermen at sea, which was impossible before the advent of the portal.
A seven-member team of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Kozhikode, developed the portal in March upon the insistence of District Collector S Sambasiva Rao. "Several startups had approached the collector with ideas but fell short of the district's specific requirements. Hence, Kozhikode NIC started to develop a programme," said Rolly TD, additional district informatics officer and technical director of Kozhikode NIC.
Initially, it was meant to provide self-declaration while going out and for transportation of essential goods. Then it was expanded to the entire state, catering to the A to Z of COVID surveillance. "Details of any person who reaches the state -- via air, rail, road or sea -- was uploaded. There were days when a whopping five lakh people visited the COVID Jagratha portal," elaborated Rolly.
From each ward, three Rapid Response Team (RRT) members are uploading COVID health data to the portal daily. Besides the general public, the portal has 35,000 daily users ranging from the district collector to the ASHA worker.
The QR code scanning facility, which is meant to track people who visit government offices/shops/hotels/institutions, has so far covered close to five lakh persons through 14,000 establishments. As many as 2,68,997 people have used the facility in Kannur and 96,067 in Kozhikode.
The vessel/boat permit incorporated in the portal is for boats venturing out to sea post COVID outbreak.
"We give temporary passes to boats registered with the portal, with details of crew members. Beyond COVID surveillance, we now have data on the number of boats at sea and the fishermen in each boat, which was not the case before COVID," said Jugunu R, fisheries assistant director in Beypore.
Of 600 boats in Beypore, only 228 are going to sea these days. The vessel permit option was incorporated in the portal after a request from the Kollam district administration. But boat owners are reluctant to use the QR code scanning facility in their boats. Many shop owners also hesitate to register for QR code as they fear the reporting of a COVID positive person among the visitors would affect their business.
The mobile application for ambulance drivers in the portal was developed by NIC, Kannur.
Besides Rolly, the vibrant team in Kozhikode comprises District Informatics Officer Mercy Sebastian, programmers Mohammad Ramjad and Preetha Vijayan, network engineers Amal, Vimal and Mohammed Niyas of the NIC and IT Mission district programme manager Midhun Krishna CM.
Now the team members are putting their heads together to incorporate COVID tests into the portal. "We wish more people used the facility. The QR code can be used during marriages and in places like fish-landing centres," Rolly said.
Establishments using QR code in state
Government offices - 6,401
Shops - 5,167
Institutions - 2,008
Hotel/Restaurants - 378