COVID’s unabated run weakens Tamil Nadu’s frontline brigade

“As government hospitals are getting full, the healthy patients are now being shifted to quarantine centres. But logistics and feeding them is proving to be a tough battle. There are also politics to be handled at every level, and a few Collectors have started complaining about the situation,” the official said.

Explaining the difficulties in arranging logistics, another official said handling the asymptomatic patients was the toughest job. The private institutions gave their halls and hostels for free of cost. Maintaining these quarantine centres with limited resources has been a tough task. If the doubling period dwindles further, home treatment and self-quarantine would become the official policy. The Health Secretary has already indicated this, the official noted.

From mid-March, some of the officials have been working for more than 18 hours a day without a break, the official rued.

During the crises situations in the past, including even the Indian Ocean tsunami, the relief works did not extend beyond a few weeks. But the corona mitigation efforts are going on without an end in sight, draining the energy and resources of Revenue, Local Administration and Police departments.

“Last month, we had issues related to the Delhi cluster. Then came the delay in issuing passes for inter-State travellers, followed by Koyambedu cluster and the guest workers protest, the list goes on. It is a fire-fighting for senior officials every day,” said an official.

Then there is also the blame game cropping up, especially over political issues. The latest is the issue raised by former minister Senthil Balaji in Karur, who asked the District Collector to remain neutral. The Karur heavyweight, now in opposition ranks, is upset with the Collector for not inviting him for the recent corona relief review meetings.