Rajasthan: Government schools win praise for creatively engaging inmates

JAIPUR: The health department has praised the efforts made by government schools that have been turned into quarantine centres. The schools kept the runaway rate low by engaging the inmates serving quarantine period in creative activities. Officials made special mention of a school in Dungarpur which was giving music therapy to inmates.

Seven districts where the schools are situated include Karauli, Banswara, Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Jalore, Chittorgarh and Sirohi. In a video conference held by CM Ashok Gehlot with five departments on Saturday, he named and praised these schools.

Banswara is teaching yoga to all its inmates serving quarantine in hostels. “These migrants have suffered a lot while covering the long distance, mostly from Maharashtra. The idea behind teaching yoga is to engender a sense of peace as most of them are scared with the very idea of quarantine for 14 days. We are using yoga to keep them calm,” said Parwat Singh, SDM, Banswara.

Luckily, all the physical training teachers appointed at these hostels have a fair knowledge of yoga.

Dungarpur, which borders Gujarat, has not only introduced music in quarantine centres, but also Garba dance which is very popular in Gujarat. “Almost all the migrants lodged in quarantine centres have left Gujarat and Maharashtra unceremoniously. Adding Garba in their daily routine has helped us de-stress them to a great extent. As most of them work in Gujarat, music and dance have become an integral part of their lives and we have tried to bring some hope by introducing the element of music and dance,” said M K Parmar, chief medical health officer (CMHO), Dungarpur.

5 districts record highest quarantine violations

Five districts in the state are reporting the highest number of persons jumping quarantine either from their homes or government facilities. The health officials during a video conferencing with the CM Ashok Gehlot informed that Sikar, Dholpur, Ganganagar, Nagaur and Hanumangarh are the top five districts recording the highest number of quarantine violations. The meeting was attended by five departments -- health, PHED, agriculture (locust), social justice and rural development. During the presentation, it was informed that these districts have recorded violations above 500 each.

Nagaur collector Deepak Yadav told TOI that he will crosscheck all the cases listed and spotted by the Covid-19 cell in Jaipur. “Our attempt will be to reduce any such violations,” said Yadav. Sikar district administration has denied the state government report. Yogya Mitra Singhdeo, collector of Sikar, said that some clerical error may have caused Sikar’s addition to the list. “I will soon share the corrected report,” said Singhdeo.

The violations have been recorded by the Covid-19 War Cell in Jaipur. Every quarantined person has to register his/her number which is called geo-fencing at DoIT cell. The moment such a person goes beyond the stimulated perimeter according to the size of the campus, the cell is alerted.