No COVID test at Dapchari border for most vehicles crossing into Mumbai

Almost everything seems to be going wrong at the Dapchari checkpost with regard to the Maharashtra governments preventive measures against the further spread of the novel Coronavirus With only onefifth of the deployed officials reporting to COVID19 duty to screen people entering from Gujarat and Rajasthan only those in cars and buses are checked for temperature while drivers and helpers of heavy vehicles enter without being screened During a twoday visit to the site midday noticed that there was no lab technician to take swabs for the antigen COVID19 testHealth workers check the body temperature of passengers of a car on December 18 PicsHanif PatelLast month the Maharashtra government made COVID19 test report mandatory for people coming from Gujarat Rajasthan Goa and Delhi and asked to screen everyone While the Mumbai international airport and the railway stations are strictly adhering to the state governments guidelines to screen everyone entering the state a little is being done at the Dapchari check postCommercial vehicles entering Maharashtra on December 17A total of 21 officials from the health and revenue departments talathi and agriculture along with teaching employees are supposed to work on the site for the screening at a given time However midday saw only four health officials one doctor and three workers who take temperature The lab technician who collects swabs for an antigen test was missing on both days midday visited the site on December 17 and 18 and both days noticed that drivers and helpers of commercial vehicles were not being screened at allHealth workers take body temperature readings of passengers of a car at Dapchari checkpost on December 18No quarantiningAfter the state governments order was passed it was decided that if the body temperature is found unusual hisher nasal swab will be taken for the test And if the report comes back positive the person will be sent to the nearby government facility at Dahanu But its not happening said a source There are nine booths for heavy commercial vehicles at the checkpost and three for cars and busesThree health workers are seen at Dapchari checkpost on December 18No check on Dec 17On the night of December 17 there was a heavy traffic jam on the road leading to the checkpost so several cars and buses were diverted to another routeThermal screening wasnt done for these vehicles as the priority was to ease traffic said a police officer Dr Kiran Vartha incharge of the health team at the checkpost said We cannot go on the highway where vehicles ply at high speedPrivate vehicles were allowed to go unchecked even when the shift of health officials changed All this is just show off sir The screening you see now is all pretence because you are here Otherwise they just sit and watch web series on mobile phones said an employee of one of the boothsOnly screeningOn December 18 health officials were either sitting idle or letting in people with just a temperature check When midday asked what was the point of thermal screening if there was no lab technician for COVID19 test medical officer Praveen Yadav said There is only one lab technician and he has not come today Moreover personnel from revenue and agriculture departments teaching staff and others have also been deployed but they dont comeDahanu Taluka Health Officer Dr Sandeep Gadekar who is incharge of deployment at the checkpost said The lab technician is not there so I have asked Dr Yadav to conduct an antigen test But Dr Yadav told midday he doesnt have PPE kit for safety while taking the nasal swabDr Gadekar added There is a PPE kit at the checkpost but if its not there I will send it immediately Dr Gadekar said Since November 25 we are regularly checking travellers arriving from Gujarat and Rajasthan We tested 851 travellers and only one was COVID19 positive and was sent to a centreHealth officials speakmidday spoke to health officials at the checkpost and most complained of how people dont want to come out of the vehicle for thermal screening because of which the readings are expected to be incorrectThe AC affects the body temperature Most of them give excuse of having joint pains etc for not leaving the vehicle said Suresh Dalvi Sometimes commuters argue saying we have blocked their way We then take the help of police officers said Dalvi21No of officials deployed at checkpost04No of officials who screen travellersKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news