GUWAHATI, Sept 12 - The Assam Police has launched a COVID sentinel project to keep watch on people kept in home isolation amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the State. A number of youths have also come forward to work as volunteers to help the police in implementing the project.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Director General of Police BJ Mahanta said that as the government is allowing home isolation of patients, the project was launched to monitor such people in Guwahati city and the officers in-charge of the police stations are taking the lead in this regard in their respective areas.
The DGP said that the COVID sentinel project of Assam Police in support with community NGO Pratishruti Trust has already reached out to over 32,000 people in Guwahati. The project involves a triple-layer strategy. In the first layer of the project, the volunteers get in touch with the home isolation patients to extend psychological, tele-medicinal and logistic support.
The second layer is remote monitoring of the patients by a special geo-fencing android app. The third one is law enforcement and doorstep visits by the officers in-charge of the police stations.
�As the situation in Guwahati city continues to grapple with COVID-19, we commit ourselves for taking care of the home isolation patients through the unique and innovative tele-monitoring project,� Mahanta said.
The DGP said the police had invited people who have recovered from COVID-19 or anyone willing to volunteer to join this incredibly exciting experience of interacting with those who need help. Part-time volunteers are required to call around 10 persons daily and enquire about their well being, without having to physically meet them. New volunteers are also given training by a team of Assam Police. The DGP also made an appeal to the people to come forward to work as volunteers through his official Facebook page.
Mahanta said the appeal received good response from the people as more than 200 volunteers have already started working. Apart from students, some college and school teachers have also enrolled themselves to work as volunteers for the project. He said though it is a voluntary service, the Assam Police is trying to pay a token amount to the students involved in the project from its own sources. �We do not have separate funds to pay the volunteers but we are trying to pay a token amount to the unemployed youths and students who are working in the project,� he added.