KANNUR: Even as they are being hailed as frontline warriors and the main force behind the state's unrelenting battle against coronavirus, a major chunk of health department, especially health inspectors, believes that the state has not taken them into confidence as they have not been given the authority to take action against people who violate Covid protocol.
Claiming that, it is not the police department but the health department which has played the vital role behind the containment of Covid in the state during the much publicised 'Kerala Model' while tackling the pandemic, Kerala Health Inspectors Union (KHIU) has demanded that, while implementing the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Act, they should be given more powers, so that they could play a proactive role rather than being mute spectators before those who violate the protocol.
The Kerala Epidemic Disease Ordinance which was issued on March 27, 2020, gives more powers to the government in connection with the containment of contagious diseases.
A special notification was issued in connection with this ordinance by the health and family welfare department on July 2, 2020, in which special instructions had been included in connection with preventive measures. Again, through yet another gazette notification, the government had authorised enforcement officers to implement it. As per this, the official authorised to charge fine against the defaulters of Covid protocol is the station house officer concerned.
"Quite befitting to the extraordinary notification of the government, this was an extraordinary decision", said K S Joy, president, KHIU. "The notification was issued by the health department and the issues mentioned in the notification were in connection with public health. Under such circumstances, the health inspectors would have been given the authority to penalise the erring public," he said. "There are so many health workers, who have been toiling hard in the field ever since the outbreak of Covid in the state. The government should take steps to correct this mistake and appoint health inspectors as the authorised person to take action against violators. Otherwise, we would become mere spectators in the field as people would not take us seriously", Joy said.
As of now, the government has not given any authority to the various health officials including DMOs, deputy DMOs, technical assistants, medical officers, health supervisors, health inspectors and junior health inspectors while tackling the public. "When an order is issued by the revenue department, it would be the revenue inspector who would take action. Similar is the case in other departments also. But when it comes to health department, the health inspectors are being sidelined completely", said another official, on condition of anonymity.
There were many instances during the last one year, when health inspectors were treated badly by the public as they don't have any power to penalise defaulters, he said. "We feel ridiculous, while returning from such situations humiliated", he said.
"Tackling health issues is a completely different affair than maintaining law and order. Instead of overburdening the police by giving the duty of health inspectors to them, the government should show some common sense to give the power to take action to the health department," said Joy. "Let the police do their duty and let the health inspectors do their duty. While saying this, we are not belittling the efforts of police. But, we need to be taken seriously by the government during this fight", Joy said.
"The force behind the much hailed 'Kerala Model' is the health workers of the state. No one should try to deny that", he said. More than anything, the government also should consider lifting the morale of health inspectors in the field, who have been waging the battle along with other health workers for more than 15 months, he said.