AgenciesPolice should have welfare systems similar to the ones implemented by the armed forces, says Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava. This will boost the morale of the personnel who have to often face demoralising situations, he tells ET in an interview. Edited excerpts:
A Delhi police constable died this week due to lack of medical care. What is the protocol for a policeman who tests positive for Covid-19? How are you caring for such people?
The health of every police personnel is important to me. We review and discuss these issues also at the daily meetings. All police buildings and colonies have been sanitised. All station house officers have been told that stations must be as clean as intensive care units. I make surprise visits to keep everyone on toes. Personnel have been asked to report to their seniors immediately if they feel unwell. This way the matter can be handled immediately. It is the responsibility of the seniors to keep the staff well-motivated, healthy and well-briefed.
Cops have been given safety equipment such as gloves, masks and PPE, depending on where they have been deployed. Small tents with water, sanitisers and resting facility have been installed near pickets. Every policeman has been provided with immunity booster kits. The work of policemen is getting multiplied and diversified. A special commissioner-rank officer is looking at the well-being of not just Covid-19 cops but also their families. We have a dedicated testing centre for police personnel at Shalimar Bagh. We have taken over several guesthouses, schools and hotel to make space to quarantine 1,000 policemen. We have tied up with the Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences to counsel infected personnel and their family members.
If all these steps are in place, how did a constable die of coronavirus on Tuesday? What went wrong there?
He was at his home in Sonipat till May 4. When he came to Delhi, he was unwell. But he did not inform his senior. On the night of May 5, he developed breathlessness. But instead of contacting his SHO, he went to a hospital with his colleagues. They kept going from one hospital to another because apparently treatment was denied to him. If only he had informed his superiors. The whole department would have rallied behind him and his family and taken care of the situation. It is unfortunate.
But why didn’t a hospital admit him?
One hospital initially said he did not have symptoms. His symptoms might have subsided then. He should have been admitted. It was a lapse on the part of the hospitals.
How are policemen handling crowd in these times?
When orders are issued, we have to plan its implementation. We need to be hands-on. Take the case of opening liquor shops. When the government decided to open the shops, I was not willing to risk the lives of my policemen at these liquor shops. Only 20% of the shops were opened first. I ordered the closure of all those shops on Wednesday because the crowd was too much. I do not want to risk the lives of my policemen. Why should he push and shove all those people? Why should so many people crowd there in the first place? It is not a football match. The shops will be opened only after the online token system is implemented properly.
In the containment zones of Chandni Mahal and Nabi Karim, people come out in the hundreds during relaxation hours. Do you think we need more curbs on movement of people?
In some areas, it is a problem. In fact, I had told the authorities concerned that containment zones should be shrunk to the level of houses with infected and suspected case. That will reduce the risk of spreading.
What is being done to allay the fear among personnel who feel they might carry the infection back home?
Those posted at sensitive places like hospitals must go to the centres earmarked for them by the DCP. We are advising them to not go back to their homes but to stay at these centres.
What is being done to boost the morale of police personnel on difficult postings?
They are doing their duty in difficult times and zones. Every now and then, I release messages to them through video and audio clips to keep their morale up. But there are demotivating factors at play - like when they have to manage crowd at liquor shops. They may ask themselves: ‘what are we doing here?’ The armed forces have good welfare practices for their personnel. Police should also have have similar practices.
A Delhi police constable died this week due to lack of medical care. What is the protocol for a policeman who tests positive for Covid-19? How are you caring for such people?
The health of every police personnel is important to me. We review and discuss these issues also at the daily meetings. All police buildings and colonies have been sanitised. All station house officers have been told that stations must be as clean as intensive care units. I make surprise visits to keep everyone on toes. Personnel have been asked to report to their seniors immediately if they feel unwell. This way the matter can be handled immediately. It is the responsibility of the seniors to keep the staff well-motivated, healthy and well-briefed.
Cops have been given safety equipment such as gloves, masks and PPE, depending on where they have been deployed. Small tents with water, sanitisers and resting facility have been installed near pickets. Every policeman has been provided with immunity booster kits. The work of policemen is getting multiplied and diversified. A special commissioner-rank officer is looking at the well-being of not just Covid-19 cops but also their families. We have a dedicated testing centre for police personnel at Shalimar Bagh. We have taken over several guesthouses, schools and hotel to make space to quarantine 1,000 policemen. We have tied up with the Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences to counsel infected personnel and their family members.
If all these steps are in place, how did a constable die of coronavirus on Tuesday? What went wrong there?
He was at his home in Sonipat till May 4. When he came to Delhi, he was unwell. But he did not inform his senior. On the night of May 5, he developed breathlessness. But instead of contacting his SHO, he went to a hospital with his colleagues. They kept going from one hospital to another because apparently treatment was denied to him. If only he had informed his superiors. The whole department would have rallied behind him and his family and taken care of the situation. It is unfortunate.
But why didn’t a hospital admit him?
One hospital initially said he did not have symptoms. His symptoms might have subsided then. He should have been admitted. It was a lapse on the part of the hospitals.
How are policemen handling crowd in these times?
When orders are issued, we have to plan its implementation. We need to be hands-on. Take the case of opening liquor shops. When the government decided to open the shops, I was not willing to risk the lives of my policemen at these liquor shops. Only 20% of the shops were opened first. I ordered the closure of all those shops on Wednesday because the crowd was too much. I do not want to risk the lives of my policemen. Why should he push and shove all those people? Why should so many people crowd there in the first place? It is not a football match. The shops will be opened only after the online token system is implemented properly.
In the containment zones of Chandni Mahal and Nabi Karim, people come out in the hundreds during relaxation hours. Do you think we need more curbs on movement of people?
In some areas, it is a problem. In fact, I had told the authorities concerned that containment zones should be shrunk to the level of houses with infected and suspected case. That will reduce the risk of spreading.
What is being done to allay the fear among personnel who feel they might carry the infection back home?
Those posted at sensitive places like hospitals must go to the centres earmarked for them by the DCP. We are advising them to not go back to their homes but to stay at these centres.
What is being done to boost the morale of police personnel on difficult postings?
They are doing their duty in difficult times and zones. Every now and then, I release messages to them through video and audio clips to keep their morale up. But there are demotivating factors at play - like when they have to manage crowd at liquor shops. They may ask themselves: ‘what are we doing here?’ The armed forces have good welfare practices for their personnel. Police should also have have similar practices.
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