The government of Kerala has left no stone unturned and has efficiently geared up to tackle COVID 19 from all fronts. A fully functional health care system plays a vital role in fighting Corona. Four laboratories are functioning as testing laboratories in the state. Around 22 hospitals are available as sample collection and treatment facilities. The state has also identified over 200 buildings including private and government schools, guest houses, colleges and hostels to turn them into care centers. It is one of the few states that does not face an acute shortage of hospital beds and special wards. Kerala was also one of the first few states to set up screening units in airports. 24 spots were identified in border areas with TN and Karnataka where police were deployed to undertake screening before the nationwide lockdown was announced.
Government officials have paid personal visits to meet patients and extend support. Health inspectors have been allotted to speak to patients and help them keep their mental health in check. “In my 25 days in isolation, there were times when I would feel depressed. She (the health inspector) would call and comfort me then. I was in touch with her from the time I had returned from Wuhan and the both of us got very close. I would also speak to the counsellors who would cheer me up,” a 20-year-old patient told The News Minute.
A decentralized heath care system that functions at the grassroot level coupled with intensive tracing has enabled Kerala to flatten the curve. Control rooms have been set up in all the districts. Flow charts depicting the travel history of patients have been released in order to trace the patients. Posters made in Hindi and Bengali were distributed amongst the migrant worker colonies in order to persuade them to maintain social distancing norms.
Fake news has been spreading faster than the pandemic itself in the country and both the central and state governments have taken measures to counter fake news. The Kerala government too has contributed its bit by requesting media outlets to only disseminate information coming from official sources and hence press conferences are being held on a daily basis. The state Police has tightened vigil on social media and has made three arrests for spreading misinformation so far.
Amongst other things the state has also put forth, a strong case for optimum usage of technology to fight the pandemic. It has partnered with QKopy and developed an app GOK- Direct Kerala to provide information about COVID 19. “Internet connectivity is a crucial aspect of business continuity plans during a pandemic. The Principal Secretary IT held talks with service providers to ensure this. Providers have informed that they can raise network capacity by 30% to 40% to meet the surge in demand. #COVID19", a tweet from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan read. The Kerala police is using drones for surveillance and for implementing lockdown orders. The government has also decided to hold meetings through Zoom in order to understand and analyze the ground situation in the state.
Positive news stories such as prisoners making handmade masks, nutritious food being cooked for patients in hospitals and food being delivered to students’ homes through the mid-day meal scheme, form the icing of the cake. It is the first state in India that has managed to flatten the curve and hence the Kerala model is now being analyzed by other state governments.
