‘Assistant booth’ & random screening battle COVID-19 at Nagaland’s busiest entry point

Two Railway Protection Force personnel are seen at a ‘COVID-19 assistant booth’ set up at the entrance of the Dimapur Railway Station on April 24. (Morung Photo)

Two Railway Protection Force personnel are seen at a ‘COVID-19 assistant booth’ set up at the entrance of the Dimapur Railway Station on April 24. (Morung Photo)

No registration of inbound passengers at the Dimapur Railway Station  

Morung Express News 
Dimapur | April 24

Nearly 50% of the active COVID-19 cases in Dimapur district are either returnees or travelers, while around 44% are traced contacts. 

However, the concerned authorities seem to be lax in implementing required protocols to prevent its check or register inbound travelers. 

None was more demonstrable than the situation at the Dimapur Railway Station, arguably the busiest entry point to Nagaland on April 24.

Concerns over lack of dedicated screening and other facilities have been highlighted by this newspaper as well as other dailies.    

When The Morung Express visited the railway station on Saturday, some Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were seen at a ‘COVID-19 assistant booth’ put up by the RPF post attached at the station at the entrance.

An RPF personnel informed that the booth, set-up a day or two ago, answers COVID related queries from travelers, besides thermal screening and ensuring observance of related appropriate behaviour. 

On being asked what is done with passengers whose temperatures were found high, the personnel said that it is the responsibility of the respective State or district authority to undertake the necessary action, adding, ‘we are just doing our part in designating spreading awareness, the rest is up to the concerned authority’. 

Right now, there is no registration or testing of inbound travelers. Established protocols for further course of action in the event of passengers found with high temperature or symptoms during the screening appear to be missing.

Meanwhile, the Nagaland Post on Friday reported that a random testing was conducted at the station led by the Dimapur Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Mereninla Senlem. The district medical team would conduct random testing of inbound passengers, giving priority to travelling TTEs and other railway staff, she was quoted as saying.

The North East Frontier Railway (NFR) CPRO Subhahan Chanda also clarified that screening/testing of incoming passengers by train or any other means of transportation was the responsibility of the respective State and that it was being done by them as per the prevailing SOP of the State, the report added.

It was informed that those inbound travelers without COVID test negative report would have to go home quarantine for 10 days. 

However, without any checking or registration, it is uncertain whether such procedure is being followed by travelers. 
On Saturday, an RPF official agreed that testing or registration should be done but opined that they might have been properly checked before boarding the train. 

However, the official noted that there are ‘too many’ points where a passenger can unboard unchecked, adding it needs a collective effort.

This is concerning as the Station receives many inbound passengers, including two daily Rajdhani Express, Nagaland Express originating from Guwahati and other daily and weekly trains. 

According to the Times of India report on April 24, out of 10 worst-hit regions by the second wave of COVID-19, Kamrup Metro (Guwahati) district was at ninth position with 39000 active cases. 

When contacted, sources at the Chief Medical Office Dimapur informed on Saturday that though screening of passengers has started since Thursday, it is usually the District Administration that oversees the registration process and directed The Morung Express to contact the DC office. 

Calls and text messages to Deputy Commissioner Office remained answered till the filing of this report.

According to the ‘Nagaland COVID-19 Bulletin,’ updated by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme(IDSP), Directorate of Heath and Family Welfare, Nagaland,  out of 101 active cases reported in Dimapur on April 24, 50 persons (49.5%) were either returnees or travelers, 44 (43.56) traced contacts, and 7 (6.94%) armed forces or security personnel.

Likewise on April 23, 46 (54.11%) out of 85 cases in Dimapur were travelers.