Shaken, not stirred: How teachers are using classroom experience in Covid-19 war rooms

More than 500 civic teachers are the first point of contact between patients and the healthcare system; here’s how they handle the task

Away from the mad scramble captured on camera at Covid-19 facilities, a bunch of teachers is working behind the scene with equal pace, fielding incessant calls at BMC’s war rooms. “I cannot find a bed for a patient”, “Help us locate an ICU bed”, “Where can I get the vaccine near my residence?” — such and similar queries are being addressed by 547 civic school teachers across the city.

Teachers are best suited for the job as they deal with kids from different psychological backgrounds daily

Working under the guidance of medical and administrative professionals, the teachers are the first point of contact between Covid-19 patients and the healthcare system. From attending to angry citizens to receiving calls filled with gratitude, they are having overwhelming experiences as they work at the war rooms for a 15-day duty chart on rotation.

“Some of the calls really shook us, especially when the callers would almost beg to locate an ICU bed for their loved ones and we were helpless. We were noting down all requirements and connecting them with vacant places wherever possible,” shared Priya Sawant, 51, from Ashokwan Municipal School in Borivali. Teachers are expected to remain calm and try to help the callers as much as possible in their five-hour duty daily as they attend “innumerable calls”, she said.

Virar resident Vishranti Jadhav, 45, who teaches at Ketkipada BMC School in Borivali, was overwhelmed after a senior citizen couple couldn’t stop thanking her for the mental support she provided them when they tested positive and were worried as they did not have anyone to look after them. “The wife tested positive, but since she had absolutely no symptoms, the doctor asked the couple to remain home-quarantined. The woman was really stressed after knowing all other things happening around and her husband asked me to talk to her to calm her down. I was tense thinking if I would really help her calm down, but after speaking to her she felt relieved,” said Jadhav, who was surprised when she was later thanked much by the husband.

Virar resident Vishranti Jadhav teaches at Ketkipada BMC school in Borivli

Krishna Yadav, 53, from Sakharam Tare Marg BMC School in Dahisar, added, “This was a completely different experience where we felt a great sense of social connection as we helped callers meet their needs or resolve their Covid-19 disease or vaccine-related queries.”

Mahesh Palkar, BMC’s education officer, said teachers are ideal for the job. “They have the experience of handling a class full of children from different psychological backgrounds and it has really helped at Covid-19 war rooms. A total of 547 teachers are appointed to do this work,” he said.

Priya Sawant, teacher, Ashokwan Municipal School in Borivli

While summer vacation has started for schools, the civic teachers have been asked to remain in the city so that they can be assigned Covid-19 related duties if required. 

547
No. of teachers deployed at war rooms

Five
No. of hours a teacher works in a war room daily

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