Doorstep screening: Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation's volunteers doing shoddy job, allege residents
COIMBATORE: A section of residents has flagged concerns over Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation's (CCMC) move to engage volunteers, particularly college students, for door-to-door Covid-19 screening exercise.
They alleged that the volunteers were just noting down the names of persons in a house without seeking details about the health conditions or symptoms. The civic body launched the initiative to diagnose infected persons at an early stage.
A resident of Ramanathapuram, N Jagan, said, "The students came and collected our name and other particulars, but failed to ask us whether we have flu-like symptoms or comorbidities."
A resident of Sundarapuram, R Arun, said that the students collected his details after an infrared thermometer screening. However, he claimed that the students never asked him details of his health condition.
Arun urged the civic body to train the volunteers before sending them on fieldwork.
Health department sources said that the volunteers were rushing to ensure they achieve the target (100 houses per day).
A higher official of the CCMC claimed that the volunteers have been given enough training before fieldwork.
"The residents shall be asked whether they have a fever, cold, cough, breathing difficulties, and any co-morbid conditions. The persons with such symptoms shall undergo the Covid-19 test," the official said.
It is said that at least five to 10 students each in 100 wards have been deployed for regular fieldwork that commenced a few days ago. A day's work would fetch them `500, which would be credited to their bank accounts every month, said sources.
The door-to-door screening process is likely to be in place for another two months in the city.