Pune: The door-to-door survey being conducted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) across the city to detect COVID-19 positive patients has 792 teams comprising nurses, Anganwadi workers and teachers, who are risking their lives at the forefront of this battle.
Sakal Times spoke to Usha Munde, a nurse who is a part of a team carrying out the survey right from the first day (March 16, 2020).
Narrating her experience, Munde said, “When the survey started, I was sent to Vadgaon Dhayari for contact tracing. We never thought that the situation would worsen. When there was a discussion of a lockdown, I decided to send my children to my mother-in-law in Barshi in Solapur district. My husband dropped them and came back on March 22.”
“I live in Katraj and report to the nearby PMC hospital by 9.30 am and travel by the vehicle arranged for us by PMC’s Health Department. At the hospital, we are instructed as to where we have to conduct the survey and are provided with masks and sanitisers,” Munde said.
GOOD AND BAD
The survey team is well received and welcomed at some places while some ignore them.
“We face good and bad experiences during the survey. People from housing societies are more cooperative than in community areas. When we went for contact tracing of the first positive patient, they gave all the necessary information even though people were scared and did not know anything about COVID-19. We could find out persons who came in contact with the positive patient easily. It helped that they gave details without hiding anything.
“There were problems in Parvati community areas where the team faced eve-teasing. People were following us and making comments. We explained to them that this is a government initiative for their safety and security. After that, they started cooperating with us. Now, there is no problem. The police and PMC are providing security in community areas on demand,” said Munde.
ADVICE, CONSULT, HOME QUARANTINE
Giving details about how the survey is conducted, the nurse said, “We have been given a target under the survey to collect details of 100 citizens daily. We receive calls from people about their report. We note their name, address, age of family members, the cell number of a family member, symptoms, if any, such as cough, cold, fever, respiratory problem, medical history such as diabetes, heart problem or any other complication. The details are filled in the form and submitted to the doctors, who decide whether to collect samples or give primary medicines. Based on symptoms, we suggest families to home quarantine or visit mobile clinics or nearby civic hospitals for treatment.”
Expressing how they overcome the challenges posed from the door-to-door survey, she says: “We follow up on the condition of home quarantined patients by calling them daily. I make 100 calls per day and advise them on how to take care. Some people don’t respond or don’t open doors. In that case, we tell their neighbours to cooperate with us. We have instructions not to leave out a single person or family.”
KEEPING CALM
Underlining the need to maintain patience, Munde said, “I remember an incident where a joint family of 18 members in Shivdarshan area live in a two-storied building. We knocked on the door, but they were reluctant to speak. We were trying to persuade them, but they were not in a mood to cooperate. We sat in front of their home. After over half-an-hour, a family member came out and spoke to us.”
Speaking about the precautions taken, Munde said, “During the survey, we cover our face with a dupatta and a mask. We do not drink water or eat anything outside for hygiene reasons. We drink water and eat our tiffin after finishing the survey work around 3 pm.”
Narrating how her work has changed the view of her neighbours, Munde said, “Our neighbours started behaving differently when they came to know. They don’t speak freely and avoid us.”
HOPE
Striking a note of hope, Munde said, “We have been surveying for almost a month now. We are hoping that this phase will pass. All of us are under tremendous pressure. We will succeed in overcoming this crisis with our sincerity and people’s cooperation. We are happy that we are helping society to save lives.”
Speaking about her boss, the nurse said, “We feel proud when people appreciate our work. Dr Vashali Jadhav motivates us all the time and takes care of us. She calls us to find out if we face any problems.”
Expressing optimism in the face of the negativity, Munde said, “I miss my children. I call them daily. I am waiting for the day when all this will end, and people will be free to do what they want. Till then, people will have to follow all instructions and home-quarantine themselves.”
