As Uttar Pradesh grapples with a sudden surge in Coronavirus cases, it has much to learn from the Bhilwara model that has become a talk of India as Corona wreaks havoc. Bhilwara was at a point projected as ‘India’s Italy’ by BBC. The turnaround has been widely reported.
A district in the colourful state of Rajasthan, Bhilwara was at a point a hotspot for COVID – 19. Constant efforts ensured that from registering 27 positive cases and two deaths, the place was eventually rid of the disease. With a tight plan in place, the district administration made sure no cases sprung up in 10 days. A model being seen as one worth emulating.
As India geared up for the 21 day lockdown declared on March 24. There was fear of the unknown and there were reports of deaths from all across the world coming in. As the WHO declared that the Coronavirus was a pandemic that had hit home, Rajendra Bhatt, the district collector of Bhilwara in Rajasthan had already felt something that was not right.
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Three days before the national lockdown, he directed a complete closure of all industries, factories, brick kilns and other establishments. All of whom had over 10 workers each. Bhatt’s action was at the backdrop of the state government calling for all district collectors on March 19 to impose Section 144 after a couple from Italy came to Jaipur infected. The instructions from the DM’s office were real-time and unambiguous. That when the first case was reported in Bhilwara.
Initially a slow starter, what followed was a containment strategy executed with clockwork precision, perfect coordination and extreme efficiency making the Bhilwara district, a first in nipping Corona under two weeks. The containment model involved strategies in several phases, including isolation with borders sealed, screening and sending people showing symptoms to home quarantine and confirmed patients to isolation wards. This was followed by monitoring. The government was prompt. The Epidemic Act was imposed immediately giving the DM all the powers to take over hospitals, hotels, etc.
Post a peak of 27 cases on March 31, the district hasn’t seen a new infection till date. A lot of the success has been attributed to people following instructions and staying off streets. Shutting down industries kept industrial activity and employment in Bhilwara under check. Realising repercussions on economy and law and order the district industrial incharge asked establishments not to fire staff. Ensuring wages were paid. The Bhilwara SDM, Tina Dabi has called it a process of ruthless containment which worked wonders.
A Band of very hard working medics and Admin staff in Bhilwara did the unthinkable by looking COVID – 19 in the eye.
Things were serious by March 21 when half of the 20 odd cases in Rajasthan were in Bhilwara. A doctor returning from Saudi Arabia was also positive with five other medical staff. By March 22, very clearly there were route charts being implemented for every zone in the district making sure essential supplies and fertiliser and other essential farm inputs for farmers.
Next there were barricades putup. Police got sufficient water, required furniture and tents for police manning. After immediate sealing, there were facilities in place for quarantine facilities with atleast 6,000 beds in various places. Guest houses of industries were handed over to health authorities and district administration along with dharamshalas where quarantining could be done. Adding to these were hostels of government and privately owned educational institutions. 11 educational institutions gave hundreds of hostel rooms to the administration. Food prepared by the Akshaya Patra Foundation which prepared healthy and nutritious food was on offer.
Cow sheds got fodder on time and vehicles carrying fodder were allowed checkposts. With efforts in the right direction, screening of 92 per cent of the population was made possible. This at a time when the district administration was busy building infra to meet fallout of community transmission.
The number of tests on a daily basis went up to 300 a day. A 24 hour war room of 50 additional doctors and 100 nurses worked round the clock with the collector’s office having three teams working in eight hour shifts every day. By March 29 almost 2000 teams screened 2.2 million people – 92 per cent of the district’s entire population.
‘Corona Fights’ teams having Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), anganwaadi workers and other local officials added to the teeth of the medicos. By March 30, the number of infected cases touched 27 in Bhilwara – the last time a new case was reportedly recorded in the district.
District authorities maintain that no new cases have been recorded till date. With no new Coronavirus cases, the ‘Bhilwara model’ has become a talking point in policy circles.
From becoming the coronavirus hotspot, Bhilwara, 250 km south of Jaipur, it is a symbol of ‘ruthless containment’ following the steps taken by the district’s authorities. Since April 3 an aggressive 11-day-long “all-down curfew” started only two new cases have been reported. The only patient infected with Coronavirus and being treated in the district is a 47-year-old teacher, who had no travel or contact history. The Centre sees the Bhilwara model as one that embodies “ruthless containment”. This even though the collector/district magistrate is still keeping a close vigil and does not want to get too complacent. So, it was a joint effort. Rajendra Bhatt credits his superiors and subordinates for the “joint effort” while speaking to newsmen. Bhatt became DM decades into his career. He was promoted to the IAS in 2007, and is set to retire in the next four years.
The administration plans to wait till May 1 before one can actually heave a sigh of relief. The idea as per the administration is to undergo three cycles of isolation, testing and quarantining.
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