Punjab police personnel with medical issues barred from COVID-19 duty

Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta on Tuesday barred all police personnel with medical issues and women cops with children under five years of age from frontline duty, in a bid to protect them from the exposure to COVID-19.

The decision has been approved by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who has asked the DGP to ensure all protective and welfare measures for the ‘corona warriors’ battling the disease from the front, an official release said here.

The DGP said there had been concerns expressed on this count during several calls received on the newly-launched tele-counselling facility for anxious police ‘corona warriors’ and their families.

At present, there are over 48,000 police personnel engaged in curfew enforcement and relief measures across the state.

The tele-counselling facility was launched on April 20 to equip police officers and their families with additional information and skills to cope with the psychological aspects of the COVID-19 duties.

Several calls were received regarding issues of health and safety of women police personnel who were either lactating mothers or with children under the age of five years.

Separation from young children was causing hardship, worry and anxiety, especially in cases where the husband and wife were both members of the police force, said the DGP, adding that in response to these concerns, it was decided not to deploy such women personnel on frontline duty.

Similar apprehensions were forthcoming with respect to personnel suffering from various medical issues, especially respiratory distress, which could aggravate their risk factors, the top official added.