Indian MasterMinds
  • Switch to Hindi
  • Become a Contributor:  Know how?
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise with us
Switch to Hindi
  • Home
  • Features
  • Videos
  • News
  • Movements
  • Opinion
  • UPSC Aspirants
  • IM Stories
  • Social Media
Indian MasterMinds
Switch to Hindi
  • Home
  • Features
  • Videos
  • News
  • Movements
  • Opinion
  • UPSC Aspirants
  • IM Stories
  • Social Media
HomeFeaturesCorona WarriorsNursing Jalgaon Back to Health

Corona Warriors

Nursing Jalgaon Back to Health

  • Raghav Goyal
  • Published on 13 Nov 2020, 5:25 pm IST
  • 4 minutes read

Highlights

With a frightening 10 percent death rate at one time, the sword of Covid 19 cut deep and mercilessly into the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra. But thanks to the District Collector Abhijit Raut who was hurriedly dispatched there on a fire-fighting mission, he brought the situation completely under control.

  • Share this article
featured banner
  • Mr. Abhijit Raut inspecting the restricted areas

The year 2020 has been a year of losses, especially for India. Starting with the massive floods of Brahmaputra river in the north-east state of Assam affecting 30,000 people, it coincided with the Covid infiltration. Soon after the first case was reported on January 30, a series of tragedies have hit the country real hard. With more than 87 lakh cases and 1.2 lakh deaths so far, India is among the most affected countries in the world. But even in this dismal situation, a number of `Covid Warriors’ have risen to the situation.

One such hero is the District Collector of Jalgaon District in Maharashtra, Mr Abhijit Raut.

At one time in June 2020, Jalgaon was one of the worst affected districts in Maharashtra- hit particularly hard by coronavirus. Such was the force of the pandemic that at its peak, the death rate here reached 10 percent of the affected patients. It was in this grim and seemingly hopeless situation that Mr Raut was appointed the DC of Jalgaon.

Related Stories

Adopting Children with TB

A Bureaucrat Recounts How Humanity Survived Amidst Covid Horrors

Four PCS officers promoted to IAS in Maharashtra

Lockdown Offered This Officer An Opportunity To Start Writing

IAS Officer Facilitates Jobs for Rural Girls in Tata Group

The Side Effects of ‘Pushpa’

Bangalore : Four IPS transferred

Celebrated IAS Officer Guruprasad Mohapatra, who Succumbed to Covid-19, Conferred with Padma Shri

And what a turnaround did the new DC make there in matter of weeks!

THE DC RECALLS

In an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Raut said, “Covid-19 was indeed an unprecedented challenge for the entire world. Concepts of isolation on large scales, lockdown, containment zone, etc. were totally new for people in general. I joined as DM Jalgaon in June 2020 when the pandemic was already in full peak in Jalgaon.’’

Jalgaon became one of the severely affected districts as the cumulative number of cases in the district crossed 50,000. Two months into the service as the DC, that is till August 31, Mr. Raut saw that the death rate of the district was higher than the state’s Case Fatality Rate (CFR). Also, the positivity rate reached 20 percent till October 10.

Extending CCC beds in Palaskhede village

“The situation was pretty dismal. We planned to strictly adhere to protocols issued by Govt. of India, Govt. of Maharashtra, and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). Protocols about containment zones, active Surveillance, ambulance management, isolation centers, Covid-19 treatment, contact tracing, swab testing, and dead bodies management, etc. were rigorously implemented.”Mr. Abhijit Raut, District Collector Jalgaon

THE TURNAROUND

Mr. Raut’s efforts eventually bore fruits. During October 10 and November 10, there was a complete turnaround in the Covid situation in Jalgaon. And this could have not been possible without the guidance of the administration and the contribution of the community, NGOs, and local SGHs in building the key infrastructure.

Meeting of private hospital doctors with the Jalgaon district administration

As of now the total active cases in the district are 480, where the CFR has come down to 2.37 percent. The doubling of cases has increased from 105 days on October 4 to 641 days currently. The positivity rate has decreased to 17 percent and the recovery rate has increased from 76 percent to 96.73 percent.

Mr. Raut has played a key role in controlling the Covid situation in the district without any prior experience of dealing with the pandemic. Like any other civil servant handling the Covid situation in their designated areas, there are several key takeaways Mr. Raut took from the pandemic.

The reason for this turnaround is nothing but the strict implementation of containment zones, rigorous active surveillance, door to door survey of vulnerable population, involving private health care facilities, increased testing by upgrading RT-PCR lab, strict enforcement of social distancing, masks and interactive information, education and communication (IEC) through films and cartoon strips.

Officers visiting restricted areas to get information about active surveillance

IMPORTANCE OF SYNERGY

“Strong government healthcare system has to be the top priority. In a pandemic, we cannot rely on private facilities alone. Secondly, communication with the public via various media as well as trust-building with people is very important. All information has to be proactively shared with the public. The next important thing is involving NGOs and voluntary organizations in surveillance, which helps in making surveillance effective and genuine. Also, home isolation was a game-changer; this helped people overcome the fear of pandemic.”Mr. Abhijit Raut, District Collector Jalgaon

NGO donating 20 oxygen bed to a rural hospital in the district

“Planning has to be proactive and meticulous, considering the worst situation possible. Effective practices in other districts can help a lot in learning about a new healthcare challenge. And lastly, active participation of NGOs, volunteers and CSR groups also help the administration’s efforts and give these credibility,’’ he added.

No doubt, Jalgaon went through hell. And thanks to the untiring efforts of the DC, it achieved the level of normalcy which at one time seemed impossible.

  • Share this article

Tags

  • Corona
  • Corona Warriors
  • COVID 19
  • Maharashtra

END OF THE ARTICLE

  • PREVIOUS STORY Once on the Point of Starvation, He’s an IPS Of...
  • NEXT STORY Giving Voice to the Women
  • PREVIOUS STORY Once on the Point of Starvation, He’s an IPS Officer Now
  • NEXT STORY Giving Voice to the Women

NEXT STORIES

featured banner
Connecting the Dots to Form a Safety Net for Northeast People During Covid Crisis
  • Bhakti Kothari
  • Published on 19 Dec 2022, 9:00 am IST
  • 5 minutes read

Highlights

During the first lockdown, IPS officer Robin Hibu was flooded with distress calls from Northeastern people living in different parts of the country. He called up his batchmates, posted in different regions of the country, for emergency assistance. Together, they came up with the project, ‘Connecting The Dots’, to help people in need with rations, oxygen, medicines, cremations or burial facilities, and vaccines.

featured banner
Fighting the Covid War in Malegaon
  • Bhakti Kothari
  • Published on 27 May 2022, 9:00 am IST
  • 4 minutes read

Highlights

The doctor turned IPS officer Dr. Arti Singh is the first and only woman SP to have been posted in Malegaon. During her tenure there, she went out of her way to help the people during the pandemic. Her efforts helped check the spread of the virus to a large extent and came to be known as the Malegaon model.

Most Popular

Do You Have ‘Courage to Dream’?

It’s Okay To Be Not Okay, Speak Up and Seek Help for Depression: NITI Aayog Director Shubhrata Prakash

How To Increase Farmers’ Income By 40% in Six Months…

Shubham Kumar Reveals His Preparation Strategy That Got Him AIR 1 in UPSC CSE 2020

IAS Gunjan Singh Got Inter Cadre Transfer From Rajasthan to Bihar on Ground of Marriage

featured banner
Using her Medical Skills to Help People During Covid-19 Pandemic
  • Bhakti Kothari
  • Published on 17 May 2022, 1:21 pm IST
  • 4 minutes read

Highlights

Doctor turned IPS officer, Anshu Singla set her best foot forward when the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the world. She actively worked in the field to help and protect her people. On a personal level, she arranged yoga and meditation sessions for people to keep their minds and body healthy.

Must read

Inspiring Story of Samyak S Jain: Visually Impaired, Secured AIR-7 in UPSC CSE 2021

Women Rules UPSC CSE-2021 Results, Bag Top 3 Ranks!

100 Candidates Mentored by IPS Officer Mahesh Bhagwat’s Team Get Selected in UPSC CSE 2021

The Top 10 of UPSC CSE 2021: A Cut Above the Rest, Know How They Did It!

Language No Barrier in CSE: Meet Ravi Kumar Sihag, UPSC Topper in Hindi Medium With Air 18

Exclusive Interview With UPSC Topper Shubham Kumar, Shares Valuable Tips On How to Crack Civil Services Exam

‘If I Can Become an IAS Officer, Anybody with Willpower Can’

Taking IAS Officer Father’s Legacy Forward, Shubhankar Pathak Aces UPSC CSE 2021 in Maiden Attempt 

UPSC CSE 2021: Priyamvada Mhaddalkar Tops Maharashtra with AIR-13

UPSC CSE 2021: Ankita Agarwal’s Journey from AIR-239 in 2019 to AIR-2 in 2021

A Daughter Who Fought till Last for Her Father’s Dream, Cracked UPSC CSE 2021 in Sixth Attempt

UP Farmer’s Son On His Way to IAS After Securing AIR 6 in UPSC CSE 2021

“Civil Service is Pro People, That’s Why It Fascinates Me,” Says Yasharth, AIR 12 Rank Holder in CSE 2021

Answer Writing, Self-Notes and Group Sessions are the Keys to UPSC CSE 2021 Topper Shruti Sharma’s Success

Flaws in the System Triggered this Doctor to Get into Civil Services, and She Did It in Style with AIR 19 in UPSC CSE-2021

Ishita Rathi, Daughter of Police Couple, AIR 8 in UPSC CSE-2021 with Economics as Optional

UPSC CSE 2021: Performance of Muslim Candidates Worst in a Decade

featured banner
How IAS Officer Iqbal Singh Chahal Defused the Covid Bomb in Mumbai
  • Jonali Buragohain
  • Published on 15 May 2022, 1:41 pm IST
  • 5 minutes read

Highlights

When Covid arrived in Mumbai, it soon spread like wildfire, especially in the slums of Dharavi, Govandi and Deonar.
The Central Government Covid Monitoring Team warned that Mumbai would explode, leading to thousands of deaths soon.
Amidst widespread panic, the Maharashtra government placed Mumbai in Iqbal Singh Chahal’s care, as the new BMC Commissioner.

Movements

Karnataka : Two IPS Shifted In The State’s Capital

IAS Sanjeev Kaushal to Continue as Chief Secretary of Haryana

UP Government Transfers 10 IPS Officers Post Promotion

Assam : Seven IAS Transferred, Rosetta Mary posted as DC, East Khasi Hills

Three IPS Shifted In Himachal, Saumya Sambasivan posted as SP, Mandi

MP : 75 IPS officer including SPs Of 21 district Moved

UP Government Shifts Six IAS and Eight PCS Officers

IAS Nikunja Bihari Appointed as Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha

featured banner
A Bureaucrat Recounts How Humanity Survived Amidst Covid Horrors
  • Jonali Buragohain
  • Published on 30 Apr 2022, 1:06 pm IST
  • 6 minutes read

Highlights

2009-batch IAS officer Tarun Pithode found himself in the centre of a massive Covid twister in Bhopal during the first wave.

News

IAS Anuradha Thakur Gets Tenure Extension

Defamation Case Filed Against IPS D Roopa for Sharing IAS Rohini Sindhuri’s Photos

CSE Process Becoming Tougher, says Former IAS Officer

IPS Rajiv Ranjan Bhagat Receives 1 year Extension

Shahid Choudhary Will Move To Oxford University For Two Weeks

NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. signs MoU with Indian Army

IAS Nishant Vivek Given New Posting

Delhi : 19 IPS and 4 DANIPS transferred

featured banner
Beating Omicron In Nagpur
  • Bhakti Kothari
  • Published on 22 Jan 2022, 4:57 pm IST
  • 4 minutes read

Highlights

Zonal DCP, Nagpur, Lohit Matani, is sensitizing truck drivers, delivery boys and street vendors of the city to follow Covid guidelines. His initiative is aimed at slowing down the spread of the virus, as these are the people who can potentially become super spreaders. He is taking help of various social groups of the city to aid him in this cause.

Video Interview

How Are IPS Officers Trained, The Life At SVPNPA…

From Black Robes To Khakee

#InternationalWomensDay2023 Special: One Advice Each From Inspiring Bureaucrats

Vultures Being Cultured

Save The Elephant

A Historic Step In Tiger Conservation

Story Of The Journey From Satara To LBSNAA

IAS Officer Abhilasha Abhinav On How To Crack The Personality Test

LATEST ARTICLES

  • Connecting the Dots to Form a Safety Ne...
  • Fighting the Covid War in Malegaon
  • Using her Medical Skills to Help People During ...
  • How IAS Officer Iqbal Singh Chahal Defused the ...
  • A Bureaucrat Recounts How Humanity Survived Ami...

Indian Masterminds

Inform, Inspire, Influence

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a Contributor

@2021 Indian Masterminds. All Right Reserved.