Decentralising to ward level, BBMP gets a grip on Covid in Bengaluru city

As Bengaluru sees more recoveries than new Covid-19 cases reported for the sixth day in a row, Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commissioner, BBMP (Bengaluru civic body), explains to BusinessLine how decentralisation to ward level and starting triaging centres and Covid Care Centres, in addition to lockdown, helped reduce the burden and manage the city’s Covid situation. Excerpts:

The unprecedented numbers that we saw over the last few weeks were overwhelming for the entire system. We worked through a decentralised approach in the treatment protocol by starting triaging centres and CCCs, which largely helped reduce the burden on the system (hospitals). The triaging system helped patients get appropriate treatment and were also advised by the doctors on what facility they could opt for — home isolation, CCC or hospitalisation. Simultaneously, we kept the pace going in terms of testing, tracking and treatment.

I would like to say that we are fighting this war in full capacity. We are aware of the challenges when people don’t get beds immediately and ambulance services. But this has largely been sorted out with the commencement of triage centres at ward and zone level.

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Primarily, we started with tracing contacts with public health staff and now we are managing everything from testing to providing hospital beds. The strength of BBMP is knowing the city better and managing it locally with any issues that crop up. The decentralisation is something that we have handled very well by ourselves. Our staff also maintains the city clean even during the pandemic. In terms of testing, we are not leaving a stone unturned and we are consistent on that as well.

We already have Covid help desk in all the hospitals, who are in direct contact with the hospital and the patient’s family. Along with them, there are also Arogya Mitras from the Health Department who, again, ensure that various tasks at the hospital are met in terms of real time and update them through the software provided. Our help desk in each hospital works 24/7 and it has been a great support to the citizens.

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BBMP has been conducting door-to-door testing at the micro containment zones, slums and overpopulated areas. We are focusing on senior citizens and people with co-morbidities, largely because we need to catch the disease as early as possible. We are open to testing in apartments and complexes; now many private hospitals are also supporting this initiative.

Decentralisation in Covid work has helped in all the eight zones, especially the citizens at large. Each zone has a minister, zonal commissioners, joint commissioners who are all working with teams in the war room and control rooms environment. These are systems which are now narrowed down to ward-level committees who can take up tasks in triaging. With the Decentralised Triage and Emergency Response (DETER) model we are trying to solve issues locally ward-wise.

The solid waste management department is working round the clock. There are separate sections to maintain the bio-waste that’s coming from the hospitals and even from homes. Many of them are in home isolation and patients have been instructed to segregate their waste and dispose of it through our vans. Door-to-door collections are happening on a daily basis without fail.

‘Beds on wheels’ is a great idea in terms of patients getting the necessary support immediately. The main concern is getting beds in the hospitals and the wait time which leads to deterioration of the health condition. In this scenario, oxygen & bed on wheels come in handy. Till a patient gets to a hospital, we can sort this issue by providing temporary beds with oxygen support.

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