https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

No More Deaths

How Ujjain District Collector Asheesh Singh brought down the highest mortality rate in the country due to Covid-19 to almost zero
Indian Masterminds Stories

By end of April this year Ujjain had earned the dubious distinction of having highest mortality rate in the country due to Covid-19. Ujjain’s figure of 184 Covid patients was far less than Indore’s 1681. But Indore had seen 81 deaths where as 40 persons had died in Ujjain, nearly 23% mortality rate.
It was on May 5 that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan tasked IAS officer Asheesh Singh to bring things under control bye posting him as district collector of Ujjain.
Singh assessed the situation. Things were pretty bad. The only medical College there was incapable of testing for Covid-19. Hospital conditions were pathetic. People were afraid of going to the RD Gardy medical college even if they had developed Covid symptoms. They preferred home treatments then going to the Medical College hospital. Most had died without proper testing and treatment as test report used to come 15 days after the sample collection. 
Moreover, there was no particular area in Ujjain identified has Corona hotspot. Cases were coming from almost all over the city. So a complete lock down or declaring a particular area as containment zone was not a feasible option.

Leading from the front
Soon after taking over as Ujjain DC, Asheesh Singh took up cudgels himself, put on a PPE kit and assessed the situation not only in Medical College hospital but also in Covid ward and ICU. He spoke to patients, doctors and nursing staff to understand basic problems and arranged for whatever was possible immediately. “There was no other way. I knew if I didn’t lead from the front, situation cannot be controlled”, Singh told Indian Masterminds.

This instilled confidence among people who started coming forward for testing and treatment. At least 400 such teams were working at a time, visiting reach house 10-15 times, educating people about corona, its symptoms, prevention, immunity boosters testing and line of treatment. They basically busted various myths and misconceptions prevalent among people there.
There was a sense of apprehension among Muslim dominated areas because of countrywide sentiments against them because of campaign that the virus outbreak happened because of a religious congregation  (jamaat) in which people from all parts of the country has participated.

Pondering about next strategy!


That’s why he set up mohalla clinics in such localities and posted doctors of the same community to instill confidence among the people. Specialist doctors also joined these local doctors in mohalla clinics. “As a result lot of people started coming out in our outdoor patient department (OPD) and things started getting better and better”, he says.

Current Situation
Today, Ujjain has a cumulative figure of 1024 patients of whom 813 have been treated successfully. The death figure which was 40 on May 5 had grown to 71 on September 1. That means only 31 more casualties during past four months. Not a mean achievement for a district which once had highest mortality rate in the country.

Saving Life Past-Midnight

Asheesh is a workaholic. Recently he issued Ayushman Health Insurance Card to an old cobbler at 1.35 am since latter was lying in coma in a hospital. His family didn’t have money for the expensive surgery in a private hospital, neither did he have Ayudhman card. When Asheesh came to know of the situation, he got down to work in middle of the night and issued the card at 1.35 am. As a result surgery was performed on the old man next day morning and his life could be saved.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Rajasthan-Police
Rajasthan: 34 IPS Senior Officers Transferred in Major Reshuffle; New DG Post Created in SOG-ATS, Sachin Mittal Made New Police Commissioner of Jaipur
IRTS logo
Senior IRTS Officer Ranjan Prakash Thakur Prematurely Repatriated from ONGC to Parent Cadre for Promotion
Punjab-Police-Logo
Punjab Government Transfers 2 Senior IPS Officers: Nanak Singh Appointed DIG Rupnagar Range, Sandeep Goel to Oversee Border Range
Anukriti Sharma IPS resized
Who is IPS Anukriti Sharma? The Inspiring Officer Who Lit Up Lives with Sambhal Police’s Heartwarming Diwali Mission
PESB
PESB Opens Applications for Director Posts in NHPC and CONCOR; Apply by November 11
CBI
2 IPS Officers Appointed as SPs in CBI on 5-Year Central Deputation – Know Their Profiles
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-21 at 2.07
Govardhan Puja: CM Mohan Yadav Performs Puja at Tilkeshwar Temple, Reiterates Commitment to Farmers & Cow Welfare
Pushkar Singh Dhami Cow
Govardhan Puja in Uttarakhand: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Highlights Cow Conservation as Key to Culture and Self-Reliance
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
IDES Saquib Alam
Beyond IAS and IPS: The Inspiring Work of an IDES officer | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Rajasthan-Police
Rajasthan: 34 IPS Senior Officers Transferred in Major Reshuffle; New DG Post Created in SOG-ATS, Sachin Mittal Made New Police Commissioner of Jaipur
IRTS logo
Senior IRTS Officer Ranjan Prakash Thakur Prematurely Repatriated from ONGC to Parent Cadre for Promotion
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
IDES Saquib Alam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT