Image: Northeast Now

Voluntary service of an Arunachal Pradesh school teacher to contain coronavirus transmission is attracting attention of the district administration as well as the frontline workers.

The sevices came barely after a week of services offered by local villagers of Debing in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district bordering to Assam.

One John Panyang, a secondary school teacher serving at Ruksin has set up a temporary ‘screening centre’ at Ngorlung-Ralung village entry point along Mirem-Mikong-Jonai PWD road near Assam-Arunachal boundary.

He has built the screening centre in a temporary hut using transparent polythene and bamboo and equipped with a thermal screening machine, face-mask, hand glove and alcoholic sanitizer.

Also read: COVID19 positive cases rise to 38 in Arunachal Pradesh

Panynag observes that the inter-state boundary area is highly prone to susceptible viral infection as wage earners and office goers are wandering at the boundary area.

Moreover, COVID-19 positive cases in neighboring Assam have crossed 1800, while figure in Arunachal Pradesh is going up day by day.

According to Panyang, his effort is to conduct screening of the local villagers, who are returned from other places inside or outside the state.

He also conducts screening of the labourers and other visitors, who entered their locality with due permission.

Image: Northeast Now

“I have learned the screening technique from government doctors, who are encouraging us to run the screening points with strict adherence of medical guidelines. In case of any high body temperature detected, we will refer to Ruksin CHC (First referral Unit) for medical support”, Panying said while informing that local administration has permitted him to render the yeoman services.

“I have been supported by local villagers to run the self-made screening centre. Some of my friends are assisting me to conduct the activities in a routine basis. I have contributed the expenses against purchasing medical equipment and other construction materials for welfare of my village community,” said visibly elated John Panyang.

Earlier, to this efforts initiated by the school teacher, residents of nearby Debing village made ten quarantine huts to facilitate home stay accommodation for their people, who have been released from government run quarantine homes.

The village volunteers are guarding the quarantine huts set up at isolated places at the village outskirt and supplying food and other needs to the occupants.

The villagers through their voluntary and self help efforts have shown an instance of ‘Atmanirvarata’, which is a new concept emerged by Narendra Modil led central government.

Located at 30 kilometre west from historical Pasighat town, Ruksin area fall under Pasighat West constituency has an strategic importance as there is a Inner Line entry gate at Assam-Arunachal boundary.

The national highway-15 passing along boundary is considered as lifeline for East Siang, Siang, Upper Siang, West Siang, Shi-Yomi and Lower Dibang valley districts of eastern Arunachal Pradesh.

Prafulla Kaman is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dhemaji. He can be reached at: [email protected]