Covid-19: Delhi Police revises SOP on health welfare for personnel amid Omicron threat

Amid a rise in the number of coronavirus cases and that of its new variant Omicron, the Delhi Police has revised the standard operating procedure on health welfare for its personnel, stating that an officer of the rank of inspector and above should personally visit the hospitalised personnel or their kin on a regular basis, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

Special Commissioner of Police (Welfare) Shalini Singh held a meeting with all the district and unit heads and other stakeholders on Wednesday to check the overall preparedness in the wake of a community spread of Omicron, the statement said.

Singh stressed on strict adherence of the revised SOP issued recently by the Delhi Police commissioner, the statement said.

“The revised SOP is more elaborate and covers complete well-being of our personnel suffering from any disease and admitted in hospital for medical treatment. The DCPs and unit heads have been designated nodal health officers.

“The nodal health officers will ensure that an officer of the rank of inspector or above should personally meet the hospitalised personnel or their kin, on regular basis till she or he gets fit. In case of outstation cases, video-conferencing with the ailing or their family members be ensured with regular feedback on health of the ailing personnel,” it added.

All the eight wellness centres and two Covid care centres at Rohini and Shahdara will be activated for any medical emergency. The district heads should liaise with the collectors to turn those into vaccination centres, the statement said.

The district and the unit heads should take stock of oxygen cylinders, concentrators, sanitiser, masks, preventive medicines etc. and keep all equipment ready. They should also liaise with doctors for counselling the personnel.

The data of the staff should be updated for the administration of booster doses of Covid vaccines. The family members of the police personnel should be motivated to get inoculated against the viral disease and those in the 15-18 age group should be urged to register themselves on the CoWIN portal, the statement said.

The estate officers of the police colonies should set up helpdesks to facilitate the installation of the CoWIN application on mobile phones and the registration process.

Necessary precautions such as wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and regular sanitisation should be repeatedly reiterated during morning and evening briefings. The office premises and the vehicles should be sanitised regularly, the statement said.

“Immunity booster kits and COVID-19 protection kits be arranged for ready distribution as and when required. Liaison officers to get in touch with local hospitals and reserve beds for our personnel, in case the need arises. Quarantine rooms be also arranged for those staying outside Delhi,” it added.