Covid care: KMC to start putting up banners with emergency numbers

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will start putting up banners and leaflets with emergency telephone numbers that people can call in case of emeregnt situation arising out of Covid pandemic situation.

It has been found that nearly 80 per cent of Covid positive cases are being reported either from highrises or from standalone buildings in the city.

The containment zones in the city is dominated by multistoreyed buildings and apartments. "We have found out that in most cases people including the elderly who have tested Covid positive are in home quarantine as they are mostly found to be asymptomatic. Our aim is to ensure that they face no difficulty in case of any emergency while living in home quarantine," said a senior official of KMC.

Speaking about the benefits of the festoons, the KMC official added: "The festoons will have a toll free number of KMC, the number through which KMC's ambulance facilities will be available. Numbers for availing telemedicine services and toll free number of state Health department."

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has identified 300 highrises in the city where it will put up such banners and festoons.

This new initiative of the civic body is expected to kick off from Wednesday.

The festoons will be put up inside elevators and in such places with probability of maximum visibility.

"Our microplanning has prevented the spread of the disease in slums. But highrises in the city still continue to have reasonable number of positive cases," said Firhad Hakim, Chairman Board of Administrator, Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The numbers will come in handy for people in home quarantine if there is need for hospitalisation, transportation to safe home or any other emergency. The respective ward coordinators and local police will assist the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in this endeavor.

Meanwhile, yellow COVID Waste Bins are getting installed in various locations across the city where citizens are requested to drop their discarded masks, gloves and head covers.