What initiatives Housing Societies are taking to fight the pandemic in these tough times?

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With the pandemic and lockdowns turning the world completely on its head and spreading havoc the world over, staying home and staying safe is the new normal.  To ensure that the home is safe, especially in a housing society, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) should take some initiatives to curb the virus, help patients who are affected by it and stop the spread any further.

Steps to stop the spread

What can RWAs do to curb the pandemic?

As a first step, RWAs can form a Covid support group to deal with various challenges around the pandemic.  They should also inform all the residents of the challenges that they are likely to face, the cooperation that is needed from them and what are the initiatives that the RWAs have rolled out so far.  Let us find out what steps RWAs can take to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus. 

Social Distancing

The best way to curtail the spread of the Covid Virus is social distancing or isolation.  The 1^st Avenue Society in Gaur City-1, Noida Extension has stopped RWA meetings, to avoid public assemblies or social gatherings.  It has urged its residents to stay indoors and has temporarily closed swimming pools and play areas, to avoid social contact.  The maintenance team has shut all the gates of the society, except for the main entrance, to stop outsiders from entering the premises.  Housekeeping staff and essential service providers are allowed to enter the area, only with their masks on.

Organizing for Vegetables, Fruits and essential Groceries

A centralized and sanitized place is organized for vegetables, fruits and other essential groceries, so that residents do not have to step out of the premises, to purchase these things. 

Reporting violators to the local authorities

RWAs in the city of Gurgaon DC, under the banner of RWA United, sought the permission of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Yash Garg, to report repeat violators of Covid protocols, to the local authorities, to ensure the safety of residents.

Setting up Vaccine Drives

Constantly making residents aware of the need to vaccinate themselves is very important.  Collaborating with a hospital or a community clinic to organize a vaccine drive, for both the doses, for all the residents is of the utmost importance.

Tracing and tracking the path of the Virus

The tracers of housing societies contact all the apartments that have been in touch with the Covid Apartment and advise them to test and keep an eye out for virus symptoms on themselves.  Cooking and delivering food to the affected apartments that need this support is provided.  Collection of garbage and any other support to Covid-affected patients is also extended.

Providing support to elderly residents

Senior citizens who live alone often need someone to talk to, to deal with their anxieties and loneliness, from the pandemic and also from isolation.  The support group of RWAs can look upon these residents, talk to them and have them reassured about the pandemic, provide them with essentials like medicines, vegetables and groceries and ensure their safety and comfort.

Reduce the number of house help and support staff

The RWAs should ensure that the house help and support staff are tested regularly, preferably daily, to stop the spread of the virus, in case they are positive.  Mr. Sanjeev Patil, Director, Wagholi Housing Societies Association, Poona reiterated this and said that their housing society follows this protocol.

The fewer number of outsiders entering the housing society premises, the better it is for the residents.  This means that the existing staff’s burden of taking care of all the residents goes up.  Instead of working in 3-4 houses, they might have to work in more houses, during this time of crises. 

Steps to deal with the virus on affected residents

The Director of Critical Care, Fortis Hospital, Mumbai, Dr. Rahul Pandit shares some tips to encourage every resident in housing societies to become a responsible citizen and handle Covid-related emergencies.

• Residents showing Covid symptoms should immediately inform the RWAs, instead of waiting for their test results to come.  This would be a pro-active method of curbing the virus at an early stage and preventing it from becoming a full-blown spread of the infection.
• Online consulting can be provided, either by doctors from within the housing society or in collaboration with local doctors and nurses.  A Greater Kailash-II RWA set up four nurses and five doctors for consultation and visiting the society, if required.
• At the housing society’s gymnasium, office or clubhouse, an isolation area or an emergency medical area should be created.  This area should have a mattress and a pillow for patients to lie down and should also most definitely have an attached bathroom.  Jyoti Ahuja, from Vatika City RWA, Gurgaon says that they have written to the administration to convert their clubhouse into a Covid care facility and have also requested supervision of the facility from competent authorities.
• Some medical equipment could be organized such as BP Monitors, Infrared Thermometers, Pulse Oximeters and Saturation-Level Check Monitors, Hand Sanitizers, Gloves, Normal Masks and N95 Masks, to check the vitals of ill patients frequently.
• An Oxygen Concentrator Machine could be rented, that gives 5 litres of oxygen, for people who need it.  Do not get oxygen cylinders to housing societies; they would be required at hospitals.

How should isolation areas be maintained within housing societies?

Isolation areas are only a stop-gap arrangement for a patient to be there for a few hours, to get basic care and oxygen, until a hospital bed is organized.  But there are some rules to follow, to maintain these areas.

• If the area is not occupied, it should be sanitized and cleaned every two days.
• If the place is occupied, the cleaning should happen daily.
• One person from the society should be completely in charge of this area.
• In case of emergencies, the person in charge should be contacted immediately. 
• A committee of 4-5 people from the RWA should be formed to support the person in charge of the isolation area.
• One person from the committee should be the designated go-to person or point-of-contact person for all the residents, to request the use of the isolated area.  This person should always wear an N95 Mask and gloves, inspect the isolation area for occupancy and then call the Covid patient to this area.
• The patient’s vitals should be checked, including the saturation level of oxygen, using a no-touch technique.  If the saturation levels are below 95, the patient or his/her family member should be instructed to start the oxygen concentrator, at 4-5 litres a minute.  The patient’s attendant should be wearing an N95 Mask and gloves.
• The committee of the housing society should ensure that there are no other visitors to the isolation area.
• The patient should be shifted to the emergency room of a hospital for assessment and medical attention.
• Once the patient is moved out of the isolation area to a hospital, the isolation area should be completely sanitized, so that it can be used again.

Constant communication and supporting each other during this crisis, building transparency, trust and participation from every resident in the community helps to battle the pandemic.  It is very reassuring to know that a large number of residents are coming forward to help, in whatever little way they can.

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