Top Punjab police officials personally contact more than 500 COVID positive cops

Harshabab Sidhu
Nabaz-e-Punjab, Chandigarh, September 6:
In a novel scheme aimed at motivating police forces at the ground level, top police officials, on the directives of DGP Punjab, have telephonically contacted more than 500 Covid positive cops undergoing treatment in various hospitals or home quarantined.
All ADGP and IGP rank officers made the calls as part of the mass contact program, in line with similar efforts undertaken in recent weeks personally by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and DGP Dinkar Gupta, with the aim of keeping the infected personnel in high spirits and motivated to fight the disease.
The senior officers involved in the exercise not only enquired about the health and well-being of the personnel but also assured them of every possible support. Some senior officers with medical background even gave them therapeutic guidance and advice. Police officials undergoing treatment have expressed satisfaction over the efforts and support given by the government and police department from time to time.
A total of 3803 police personnel have tested COVID positive so far in the state, and out of these 2186 (57%) have fully recovered. At present 1597 officers / officials are positive, including 38 Gazetted Officers and 21 SHOs. About 32 family members of police personnel are also COVID positive. Another 50 police personnel, who were close contacts of positive cases, are under self-quarantine. A total of 20 officials, including a DSP, have laid down their lives in the recent past, while fighting coronavirus as frontline warriors.
More than 20 police officials who have recovered from the disease have willingly donated blood plasma and more than 100 others have also offered to do so for the benefit of the society.
As a welfare measure, all COVID positive police personnel are being provided health kits recommended by doctors, which include digital thermometer, pulse oximeter, sanitizers, medicines, vitamins etc. These kits cost Rs. 1700 including taxes, but are provided free of cost to the positive reported police officials.
Although the frontline police forces are overstrained due to additional responsibilities and apprehensions of exposure, the morale and motivation level of the personnel to the junior most rank is high.
The DGP said every police official of Punjab Police is his personal responsibility and this contact programme will continue in the future also, till every Covid positive policeman in the state is nursed back to health.