To protect police personnel battling the COVID-19 crisis on the frontline, the Punjab Police has deployed mobile clinics for their medical examination, with 30,567 of the total 43000 cops on the ground already given one round of a thorough check-up.The `Mobile Police Clinics’ are working in all the seven police ranges and police commissionerates of the state to medical examine the frontline police force, which has been working relentlessly for curfew enforcement and relief operations, across three shifts a day, DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed on Friday. In some of the districts, help is being taken from the civil hospital doctors also to get the police personnel, especially on duty at the naka points, checked for symptoms of flu or other illnesses.All personnel will be checked repeatedly, every second day, to ensure that there is no health issue among them as a result of possible exposure to the coronavirus, said the DGP.Gupta said that detailed instructions have already been issued by district SSPs to ensure that all police personnel, performing duties at the forefront in enforcing the lockdown to prevent spread of Coronavirus across the state, remain healthy and safe.While all police personnel on duty to enforce the lockdown have been provided with masks, gloves and hand sanitisers, those deployed at the Hospital isolation wards or in the vicinity are provided with PPEs/biohazard suits, said the DGP. So far, he said, 2.5 lakh masks, 788 PPE kits and nearly 2.5 lakh hand sanitisers have been distributed to all the ranges and CPs to protect the police personnel.Given the vulnerability of the police force performing duties in the face of COVID-19 exposure, all mandatory precautions are being taken and medical help is being provided in the districts to the police personnel, besides meticulously following the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry from time to time, to keep the spread of covid-19 virus under check, said Gupta.
Tents and outdoor umbrellas have been installed along barricades to protect them from extreme hot temperatures, and to ensure sanitization of barricades, chairs, and other items which are used by police force on front line duty, a special Japanese machine which covers 70 feet radius on both sides with 10 percent sodium hypochlorite solution is being used by CP/Ludhiana and SSP/Patiala.Police personnel suffering from BP, diabetics and other medical problems were being provided with medicines and multi vitamins at the place of duty,, according to the DGP. To provide better curfew management and increase mobility, vehicles have been taken on rent by district police to augment the efforts of front line police personnel in implementing lockdown. All police personnel deployed on duty are being provided with food packets, including high protein diet and water/lemon water to keep themselves hydrated.The DGP further revealed that the latest technology like drones was being deployed to identify areas of curfew violation, thereby helping frontline police personnel in their duties. Referring to the deployment of the police personnel, DGP said that it was being done in three shifts in view of health and wellness of the force and the norms of social distancing is also being followed to prevent any exposure to the virus.Talking about the steps taken to sensitise the police personnel, the DGP said informative videos, lectures, leaflets etc., on aspects like social distancing, sanitization, hygiene, were being shared regularly so that they take self-precautions while preforming duties assigned to them in the lockdown.On the medical checks done so far by the mobile vans, the DGP said the maximum of 5791 Police personnel have been medically examined in Patiala Range, followed by 5396 in Border Range, 3327 of IGP Jalandhar Range, 3002 in Rupnagar range, 2264 in Bathinda Range, 2055 in Ferozepur Range and 1332 in Ludhiana Range. Apart from this, as many as as 3700 police personnel were medically examined in Commissionerate of Police Ludhiana, followed by 2500 and 1300 police personnel in Commissionerates of Police Amritsar and Jalandhar respectively.