Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has kicked off a plan called 'Mission Dharavi' to control the spread of COVID-19 in Dharavi. Under this plan, the BMC will screen the maximum people and will quarantine and test the suspects. According to the BMC, 3.6 lakh people have been screened out of eight lakh population of Dharavi.
There are multiple ways of screening people of Dharavi like going door to door screening and fever clinics. The BMC is screening the people by going door to door, with the help of 47,500 private practitioners. Also, 3,224 fever camps have been started in Dharavi.
About 350 private clinics are in operation since past one month and 1.75 lakh people have been screened.
Nine dispensaries are running for routine check-ups. Eleven thousand people have been screened and 175 referred & tested so far. Keeping in mind that the senior citizens are most vulnerable, the BMC has surveyed 1,21,581 senior citizens.
Some NGOs have also come forward to help the BMC. The Smile Foundation has placed a van with doctors in high-risk zones from Monday to screen people and referring them to quarantine centre.
In addition, a Public Announcement System (PAS ) van is roaming in Dharavi, appealing them to contact Dharavi municipal school if any corona like symptoms is observed.
Kiran Dighavkar, the Assistant Municipal Commissioner, said," Screening maximum people (approximately 3.6 lakhs) from multiple sources as many times as possible and isolating them and testing them is the only way to tackle this pandemic at places like Dharavi."
However, Education minister Varsha Gaikwad, who represents the area, said that there is a plan to screen everyone in Dharavi.
"More than 8 lakh people reside in Dharavi. We have also allowed them to return to their native places. The government is helping them to go to their homes," said Gaikwad.
