With 34 out of the 36 districts being affected by the novel coronavirus and the number of COVID-19 cases crossing 20,000 as on May 11, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state in the country. Over 60 per cent (more than 12,000) of the state's COVID-19 cases are in Mumbai alone, followed by Pune and Thane.
The COVID-19 death toll in the state crossed 750 on May 11, with Mumbai alone recording as many as 450 deaths.
The situation continues to be grim with a large number of police personnel in the state testing positive for the disease. In Mumbai alone, 469 cops tested positive. As of May 13, eight police personnel from the state, including five from Mumbai, succumbed to the disease.
Nearly 600 cops from Mumbai are presently under quarantine. Guest houses, hotels and lodges have been arranged for those who are found to be symptomatic.
Several police stations have personnel who have tested positive for the virus. As of May 13, 44 policemen from JJ Marg police station in Mumbai are undergoing treatment for coronavirus, while five have recovered and are currently under quarantine. The police station is situated inside the compound of JJ Hospital, and the common route shared by the police staff and COVID-19 patients visiting the hospital has contributed to the rise in the number of positive cases among the policemen, feels ACP Avinash Dharmadhikari, in-charge of Dongri division.
"We have now locked the gate which gives access to patients and hospital's healthcare staff from our side of the compound to prevent a rise in infections," said Dharmadhikari.
The problem is more personal than social, feels ACP Santosh Walake, who heads the Azad Maidan division, which includes posh areas of South Mumbai such as Cuffe Parade, Colaba and Marine Drive. In his station alone, in the past 48 hours, five policemen have contracted the disease. "The main reason is that the men in khakhi, who are burdened with the duty of policing others, are forgetting to police themselves, or rather care for themselves. Also, given that the infection spreads very fast from one person to another, a number of police officers may have contracted the virus while working with their colleagues who first tested positive," said Walake.
On May 10, Mumbai Police paid tribute to an assistant sub-inspector, Sunil Dattatray Kalgutkar, from Vinoba Bhave Nagar police station, who died of coronavirus. His was the fourth COVID-19 death in Mumbai Police. Around the same time, the city's Sahar police station celebrated the return of one of its police constables who was successfully treated and discharged from Seven Hills Hospital. The state government announced Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia to the next of kin of policemen dying of COVID-19 while arrangements have also been made to give employment to one of their family members in the force.
COVID-19 deaths among policemen have so far been reported from Solapur, Pune and Nasik.
Only when a police personnel comes in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient and is found to be symptomatic, is he asked to get himself tested. On May 8, eight constables and four officers from Nirmal Nagar police station in Khar (East) tested positive, and nine others were quarantined. "The good news is that 48 people have recovered till date. Mumbai is a large city with many red zones and given that the police must be in the field at all times, ensuring the enforcement of the lockdown guidelines, we are but naturally prone to catching infection," says deputy commissioner of police (operations) and spokesperson for Mumbai Police, Pranay Ashoka. "With help from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, we are setting up a 250-bed COVID-19 care centre specially dedicated to police personnel near Kalina in Mumbai's suburban Santacruz," he added.
The centre will serve asymptomatic patients and those with mild cases of COVID-19.
Besides, special measures are being taken to strengthen the immunity system of the police personnel and equip them to fight the crisis without succumbing to it. "We are providing our personnel with the required PPEs, including masks, sanitisers, gloves, and face shields. We are also ensuring they have enough supplements to boost their immunity. We are ensuring that those above the age of 55 or those with pre-existing ailments go on leave," said Ashoka.
