Chennai: The city police department is shaken by the huge number of Covid-19 positive cases among the force. As of this morning, 77 personnel of various ranks are tested positive.
A senior official said, none of them are in danger and they are being discharged from hospitals on a daily basis. They are all in stable condition.
However, on the ground level, the situation is tense. Policemen feel that the pressure put on them during the first few weeks of lockdown to conduct vehicle checks landed them in hospitals. At the same time, they also understand that the situation was unavoidable.
A Sub-Inspector said, “There is no full safety for us as we interact with the public. When doctors wearing PPE kits get the infection, how can we not get it?”
The list of 77 police and fire service personnel who were hospitalised earlier included a Deputy Commissioner who is now discharged.
Now, Assistant Commissioners, Head Constables, as many as 12 Sub-Inspectors, ex-Servicemen who had come as volunteers and Home Guards are battling the infection.
Sub-Inspector Raja Ram, who is checking patients on quarantine, often gets himself checked for the virus, “I am being very cautious.”
He says after the breakout of the pandemic in the police force, there is not much pressure for checking vehicles. Each policeman has just one duty for the day. Earlier, they had to do the patrolling, filing FIRs and carry out vehicle checks.
Now, with limited force, some policemen are baffled at how the government allowed shops to function despite the massive spread.
An Inspector of police said that the spread of infection among the uniformed personnel was expected. “Now the duties have been relaxed. Earlier it was very strict and we had tight schedules. We were on our toes. Many of us were duty conscious and did not bother about the disease,” he said, adding that it was unavoidable as enforcement of law and order was the need of the hour. A Sub-Inspector said in the past few weeks, he took the Covid-19 test twice.