State to reward COVID-free villages Staff Reporter : In a bid to encourage the rural population to follow the precautions strictly and also to curb the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas of the State Rural Development Department of Maharashtra Government has decided to reward COVID-free villages. The first second and third prize winning villages in each administrative division in the State will get reward of Rs 50 lakh Rs 25 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively. On various parameters Gram Panchayats concerned are expected to submit self-assessment report to Block Development Officer (BDO) concerned within one month. The BDO will then scrutinise the reports and submit a list of Top Ten Gram Panchayats with the highest score to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zilla Parishad. The CEO of Zilla Parishad will then inspect the villages and submit a list of Top Three villages to Deputy Commissioner (Development). Divisional Commissioner concerned shall collate the information about Top Three villages from all districts under respective administration and then shortlist three villages. The first second and third Gram Panchayat from each administrative division in the State will get prize of Rs 50 lakh Rs 25 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively. The initiative is actually a competition in which performance of villages will be assessed on the basis of certain parameters. The performance shall be assessed for the period between June 1 2021 and March 31 2022. Total 22 parameters have been defined to assess the performance of Gram Panchayats. Among other parameters to be considered while assessing performance is caretaking of children who have lost parents to COVID-19. In fact this particular parameter along with contact tracing and conducting rapid antigen test at village level have the highest score of 4 marks. All other 21 parameters have got 2 marks each. Each Gram Panchayat shall constitute committee for COVID-19 management and making village COVID-free. The committee shall include Sarpanch Deputy Sarpanch Gramsevak Talathi healthcare worker and ordinary residents of the village. Under this committee each Gram Panchayat is expected to constitute five squads assigned to do specific tasks. These squads include one each for ward-wise family/household surveillance setting up isolation facility with availability of warm water etc team of drivers to transport patients for COVID-19 testing and admission to hospital COVID-19 helpline and vaccination. These squads are expected to not only reach out to people but also create awareness and extend respective services. The family surveillance team is expected to record oxygen level temperature symptoms like cold dough fever fatigue etc of each of the families visited. Also the team is expected to prepare a list of persons with auto-immune disease respiratory tract illnesses diabetes hypertension. The isolation facility to be set up is mandated to have two segments -- one for patients and another for contacts of the patients. These centres must have clean toilets supply of warm water diet and medication for patients and a mechanism to inform doctors in helpline team if condition of a patient deteriorates. The team of drivers must have vehicles fitted with protective shield behind driver seat and sanitise the vehicle after each trip carrying patient to hospital. The helpline squad shall have private doctors doctors at primary healthcare centre/sub-centre pharmacist and others in the area of respective Gram Panchayat. The team should ensure that treatment of COVID-19 patient is started immediately conduct testing of patients from time to time at nominal charges admitting patients from villages to the hospital at district headquarters resolve issues relating to availability of beds and medicines regular examination of oxygen level and other parameters of patients at isolation centres identifying complications like Mucormycosis etc and sending such patients to hospitals for treatment and making families aware about protocols regarding taking care of children. Vaccination team will ensure priority accorded to vaccination of people above 45 years of age having diabetes asthma hypertension; preparing list of beneficiaries and registering at Gram Panchayat office through volunteers ensuring no violation of norms and conducting antigen test of villagers regularly.

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