Meet IAS Officer Tina Dabi Who Is Helping Rajasthan's Bhilwara Combat COVID-19 With The 'Ruthless Containment' Model

Rajasthan's Bhilwara was one of the first COVID-19 hotspots in the country and was put under complete lockdown by the state and district authorities to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Bhilwara is now famous for its 'ruthless containment' model and has set a precedent for other states to follow.

Bhilwara could have become the next COVID-19 epicentre had it not followed a strict strategy put into place by IAS officer Tina Dabi and her pro-active team. The district reported its first case on March 19 and Rajendra Bhatt, the district collector declared a lockdown on March 21 even before the government announced the nation-wide lockdown.

Tina Dabi, the 26-year-old Indian Administrative Service officer, in an interview with Hindustan Times said that one of the first things the team did was to isolate the district and make sure people were taken into confidence.

"Even we were taken aback that we would be compared with Italy and described as the coronavirus hotspot. Preparations were in place like any other place in the country and basic measures were in place," Dabi said.

"On March 19, we got our first positive case and it was on March 20 we connected the dot and we found out that it was one whole private hospital that could be the epicentre of the whole crisis," she said.

The Brijesh Banger Memorial Hospital (BBMH) in Bhilwara could have become the epicentre of the virus as a doctor at the hospital had tested positive. But the timely implementation of the lockdown successfully prevented any further spread.

The young IAS officer has been Bhilwara's sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) from October 2018.

Once the lockdown was imposed, the authorities started screening everyone, first from the medical staff of the hospital and their families, to the entire city.

The initial days were challenging as daily essentials had to be delivered at all doorsteps. Several authorities received panic calls as people were stranded due to the lockdown.

"We had just one mission in mind and we had just one target that we just need to stop it … We were sitting on a ticking time bomb where it could reach any number. There was actually a possibility of massive community spreading," Tina added.

To enforce the social distancing norms, several community leaders called as 'corona warriors' in villages ensured that proper distancing was followed everywhere.

From the 27 cases tested positive earlier in the textile city of Rajasthan, 25 have recovered, and 15 have been successfully cured.

The turn-around model is garnering praises from the national and state government. India's cabinet secretary, Rajeev Gauba in a video conference with chief secretaries of the state said that the government is looking to implement the Bhilwara model in other places as it achieved successful results.

Sachin Pilot, the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, also praised the model and called it an excellent example for the state to follow.

Tina Dabi, an IAS officer from the Dalit caste was often mocked for her reservation to clear the exam at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University for political science. Dabi has now shunned all criticism around her as she stood firm against it all. She proved how her hard work, determination and talent can achieve great results and can also set an example for others to follow.

"We never get this opportunity to serve so many people to handle a crisis of this magnitude. I think the Iearning experience that is going to come from it is going to be very rewarding for me though out my career and I am looking at it as a matter of pride," the IAS officer proudly said.

Also Read: How Do You Fight A Pandemic? Ask City Of Bhilwara In Rajasthan