Covid-19 triggers panic in Bhiwandi school, village after 28 students test positive

Tribal leader Vivek Pandit interacts with locals. Pics/Hanif Patel

Twenty-Eight Covid-positive students from a tribal residential school in Bhiwandi left the premises and went back to their homes to avoid being isolated on Monday, posing risk to the people they came in contact with. The incident took place at the tribal school in Chimbipada village during a testing camp, which was organised after a number of students showed symptoms. As part of the camp around 500 students were to be tested. However, after around 198 tests were done, 28 of the, were positive, there was a rumour that one of the students died, leading to panic. Meanwhile, the parents from nearby villages heard that their wards were tested and gheraoed the school. When ambulances arrived to take the positive students to a health facility, the parents and students fled from the school.

The tribal residential school at Chimbipada village

Testing camp

"We had received information that students at the residential school had Covid symptoms and were suffering from cold and cough. The tribal project officer had written to us to conduct tests of all students and staff members at the school," Dr Madhav Waghmare, Taluka Medical Officer, told mid-day. Medical Officer Dr Dharne Dattatreya said, "Our team members visited the school with testing kits and other medical equipment. There a total of 476 students present and they were told that they would be tested for Covid." He added that of the 198 students tested, 28 tested positive along with two non-teaching staff members.

Panic strikes

The positive test reports led to panic among students, said Dr Swapnali Patil, medical officer. "When their parents heard their children were being tested, they gheraoed the premises and tried to take their children home," he added. Though the doctors tried to convince the parents to get the students admitted, they were not willing to cooperate. These students belong to nine villages including Balkhadi, Dodhdepada, Kaman Kharbav, Godhavali Kuhe, Tepachapada, Chimbipada, Khadki - all are tribal-dominated areas with poor literacy rate.

Medical officers visit the homes of the students in their villages

Villagers Speak

When a mid-day team visited these villages, they found most villagers without masks. They, however, covered their faces after noticing the camera. The Covid-positive students too were seen mingling freely with their parents, neighbours and other children without following any protocols. Many villagers told mid-day they were scared to visit hospitals as, according to them, "those who were admitted to hospitals never returned home". This coupled with lack of awareness about Covid-19 led to their fear of being isolated, or even getting tested. "Who will take care of my child at the hospital if he is admitted there? I will be shooed away by security personnel, and not allowed to enter the hospital," said the father of a child who tested positive at the school.

Tribal leader roped in

Since the parents were not getting convinced about getting their wards and themselves isolated, authorities approached Vivek Pandit, tribal leader and chairman of a panel appointed by the state government to check the status of tribal schemes, on Tuesday. "There are four gram panchayats there and each panchayat has around 5,000 people. So, nearly 20,000 people had been in panic mode since Monday. I visited the school and met the government doctors who narrated their ordeal to me," Pandit told mid-day.

"I also visited various villages and met the parents and children who tested positive but did not isolate. I have convinced them to cooperate with the government as it could be dangerous if not treated on time," he added. Pandit said, "I have been told there was a rumour that one child had died. Though none of them checked who died and where, the rumour triggered panic among students. Later, when three ambulances arrived, it aggravated their anxiety. Had the situation been handled carefully, this would not have happened. They should have counselled the students tactically."

School to be Covid facility

After talking to medical practitioners as well as parents and students, the tribal residential school at Chimbipada is being turned into a Covid facility where the students will be admitted. Dr Vinay Patil, who visited various villages along with Pandit on Tuesday, said, "Contact-tracing will be difficult as most of the students returned to their homes without taking any precautions. This is the third wave which is targeting children."

Paediatrician Dr Varsha Bhosale also visited various villages to ascertain the level of pandemic threat. "Most of the kids who are positive have mild symptoms. Their oxygen saturation level as well as body temperature is normal," Dr Bhosale said. Pandit said, as per government data, that there are over 3 lakh people above 18 years in Bhiwandi rural, and added, "Around 79 per cent of adults have taken their first dose of vaccine, whereas only 50 per cent have taken both doses."

28
No. of students who tested positive at the school