Vadodara: Commissioner AMC, Vijay Nehra had a day before yesterday announced screening of all vegetable vendors in Ahmedabad and issuance of cards to them if they find healthy, for a period of 7 days. Nehra had also appealed the citizens to buy vegetables only from card holding vegetable vendors. The decision was taken after many vegetable vendors were detected Covid19 positive and super spreaders (who can spread infection to lot other people).

The announcement however was sounding impractical, as the staffers of AMC were already burdened with existing Covid19 related works and drives. There was no space for them for new drive without abandoning existing drives.

The announcement was also sounding impractical as practically covering all vegetable vendors and issuing them cards would not be possible across the city in every seven-day period. Vendors are extremely poor, lack vehicular facility and would not come forward to get cards at civic offices. If civic staff travel to them, issuing cards to all of them every week would be virtually impossible task. Their health screening would be another challenge. Who would certify them as healthy? There are not enough doctors or trained staffers who can be roped in to do this job!

But then, the argument by Dr. Viond Rao, IAS, appointed to coordinate, supervise and execute the actions against Covid19 in Vadodara also is interesting. Atop all other arguments he said, ‘Many people contacted me suggesting that we should also give COVID-free-Card to Vegetable Vendors like Ahmedabad and Surat. But I feel it is NOT a well- thought idea, and could be counterproductive. How many days validity has a Negative Report got? One can be Negative on the day of taking a sample and be infected by the next day even before the results come. This Card will give a false sense of security and people will start behaving normally even though they could be carriers of the virus.’

DeshGujarat