Sudden surge in COVID positive cases in Digboi

Of around 2,200 workers and technicians hired from various parts of the country to work for Digboi Refinery over hauling (maintenance), one Manohar Patil (46) of Gujarat succumbed to COVID-19 during treatment here at Tinsukia Civil Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
Sudden surge in COVID positive cases in Digboi

1 worker dead, several AOD officials test positive

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: Of around 2,200 workers and technicians hired from various parts of the country to work for Digboi Refinery over hauling (maintenance), one Manohar Patil (46) of Gujarat succumbed to COVID-19 during treatment here at Tinsukia Civil Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Patil had tested positive in Digboi and was rushed to Tinsukia after his oxygen level reached below 45.

Meanwhile, several key officials of the AOD management, including General Manager Kamal Basumatary, DGM (Refinery Instrumental) Abhijit Mazumder , Kishore Dutta, the GM (Admin & Welfare), Pranab Kumar Patowary, the GM, P Sen Kumar, the DGM (Fire & Safety), Mridul Shayam, the GM (Vigilance) and Samrit K Maiti, have been kept in home isolation after they tested positive for the virus till filing this report.

According to AOD source, the Executive Director, Digboi, John Ekka, who constantly had marathon meetings with the top officials, is yet to undergo COVID test. Ekka on his transfer was preparing to hand over the charge to his successor when the virus raised its ugly head once again in Digboi. Moreover, a female lecturer of Digboi College tested positive on Thursday and has been put under home quarantine. She is the wife of an AOD official.

The hired workers and technicians have been found moving around in the vulnerable townships, including the market areas, instead of being quarantined officially or observing self-isolation.

Three days after the arrival of the hired team members in Digboi, who have been accommodated by the AOD management in various locations, two local AOD employees along with their family members tested positive for COVID-19 last week. When asked about the measures the AOD had initiated to break the chain immediately after detection of the first positive case among the employees last week, an AOD official said, "We are allowing only those to enter the Refinery who have tested negative." According to the officials, refinery over hauling is a yearly maintenance work carried out during the shutdown of the oil industry and nobody except the Petroleum Minister can obstruct the over hauling operation.

Had the AOD management acted immediately after detection of the first positive case in liaison with the health department and district administration, the fear of community transmission would not have surfaced today. Had all the outside hired workers been immediately quarantined following the COVID-19 protocol, the scenario would have been different.

To contain the fast transmitting virus, an emergency meeting was held at AOD hospital on Wednesday wherein the District Surveillance Officer and AOD medical staff drew plans and strategy for immediate implementation. Dr Niharika Saikia informed that around 90 persons were tested on Thursday at several locations, including Digboi Municipal Board, but all tested negative. "We have started random community testing while AOD hospital authority will conduct tests on AOD employees, hired workers and the officials of the Corporation. Unfortunately, people hesitate to come for the test voluntarily. We are unable to assess the exact stage of transmission if people do not come for the test," said Dr Saikia. "Contact tracing is also now a challenging task as the source of transmission is yet to be ascertained," added Dr Saikia, without declining the possibility of the virus being imported. Meanwhile, panic grips the oil city Digboi as hundreds of hired workers have already been mingling with the local population since the past fortnight.

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