Ggm: Due to stigma, 577 COVID-19 patients found hiding information

Gurugram: With fear and stigma around COVID-19 gripping the city, a special team formed by the Gurugram Police for contact tracing found that 577 patients had either switched off their phones or uninstalled the Aarogya Setu App so that they could avoid being detected. Interestingly, the team also found that 200 patients had provided wrong information about themselves to the private laboratories where they got tested.

Subsequently, the Gurugram Police officials got in touch with the more than 500 patients who were hiding their location and placed them under institutional quarantine so that they can be monitored.

Taking action against private laboratories who had failed to record accurate information about patients, the District Health Department served notices to five private laboratories seeking an explanation of their careless approach. The officials of Gurugram Police also have begun tracing the 200 patients who had recorded incorrect information.

With fear related to COVID-19 resulting in patients not coming out with the disease, a dedicated COVID-19 cell has also been formed at Gurugram Police headquarters to trace such patients. For this, the senior officials are coordinating with the District Health Department.

As per officials here, most patients, after finding out that they have been infected with COVID-19, switch off their phones and uninstall Aarogya Setu so that they cannot be traced by the officials. The Gurugram Police till June 26 had followed up with more than 1,617 COVID-19 patients for contact tracing.

"More than 20 percent of the workforce is presently involved in containing COVID-19. One of the major tasks being carried out by our team is to trace people who are not reporting their disease and in effect putting not only their lives but also others at risk," said a senior police official of Gurugram Police. Strict directives have also been given to private hospitals for maintaining proper records of the patients.

According to officials, one major reason why there is so much fear among the citizens in reporting the disease is because of apprehensions involved in the disease affecting their employment prospects. Menial workers seem to face a major brunt of it, with most residents still not calling their domestic workers or resuming the services of their drivers out of fear.

"We have also started an initiative wherein we are visiting the rural and far-flung areas of Gurugram and spreading information about COVID-19 and advising them on necessary precautions to take," said the senior police official.