IPS officer Anshu Singla didn’t always dream of getting into civil service. In fact, the biggest dream of her life was to become a doctor, and she even became one! But what caused her to switch her profession and become an IPS officer, leaving behind her lifelong dream?
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer shared her journey from a doctor to IPS and what caused her to switch professions.
A HEART-WRENCHING SCENARIO
Born and brought up in Chandigarh, Ms. Singla always wished to become a doctor. She studied hard and achieved her dream. She was happy in her field until one day when an incident changed her view and perspective about everything.
While she was practicing her medical in a reputed hospital, she came across a woman who was a burn victim. Her body was damaged with more than 80% burns. Upon inquiring, it came to light that the young woman was burnt by her in-laws under the pretext of dowry.
“This incident forced me to reconsider my decision. I realized that as a doctor, I can only deal with the medical diseases of a person, but what about the social diseases spreading so rapidly in society? So, this became a turning point in my life which motivated me to get into civil services,” she told Indian Masterminds.
POLICING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is undoubtedly, the most challenging period that the generation had to face in a while. To a possible extent, Ms. Singla went on and about to protect her people and the nation from the adversity. Right from ensuring proper oxygen distribution in hospitals and Covid centers to sensitizing her team to adhere to the needs of the public in such trying times, Ms. Singla did everything to help the people around her.
“I was made the nodal officer of Covid-19 of my zone. As a police officer, it was my responsibility to keep everything in check, from oxygen to cylinders to hospital beds to ration distribution to raising awareness among the public and keeping everything in order,” says Ms. Singla.
During that period, she also busted several rackets involved in the black marketing of Remdesivir, a very important Covid-19 medication at the time.
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL
For early diagnosis and isolation, Ms. Singla arranged an audio conference with all the other branches. She did this on three different levels: The gardeners, helping hands, and the cooking staff that are at the highest risk of transferring the disease to others and were needed to be monitored regularly; the investigating officers who were active on the field; and the families of the police officers.
“Our strategy was quick isolation and providing basic awareness related to maintaining hydration, building immunity, and practicing yoga daily. These were our three fronts of screening,” Ms. Singla shared with Indian Masterminds.
This helped the officer and her team to screen the people and diagnose serious cases out of them who needed to get hospitalized. She arranged online yoga sessions throughout and motivated people to take part in it, to keep their minds and body healthy.
POLICE LINE FACILITIES
She went forward to inspect isolation facilities in the police line and ensured that it was up-to mark and met the needs of the patients. She coordinated with the local doctors and organized numerous vaccination camps for the public, staff, and their families.
“Further, we distributed medical kits and steamers so that they can use them to check their vitals and stay healthy. I taught them jal-neti (nasal water cleansing) to flush out any bacterial elements from their system, in addition to relaxation, meditation, and yoga,” shares the officer.
She personally met with the family members of the police personnel who unfortunately lost their lives in the pandemic. She consoled them and helped them by providing moral and financial support to them for their kids’ education and other needs.
The officer herself got infected with the virus which was quite challenging for her, but she kept her mind and body fit through meditation throughout. Once recovered, she set her foot back on the field, without wasting a day, to help her fellow mates and protect her people.
