Amrabad Forest Divisional Officer Rohit Gopidi stated that few months ago, he observed that some tribal hamlets in Mannanur village had set up tents in the open fields far from houses. From locals it was known that it was done to isolate residents who had symptoms of COVID-19. The Indian forest service officer(IFS) realised the requirement to set up a proper isolation ward with food, as he found that these tents were not conducive for quarantine.
Rohit Gopidi and his wife Padmini Patlolla sought assistance from corporate social responsibility(CSR) wing of Apollo Hospital for making it a safe environment for quarantine.
Soon with in three weeks, all necessary permissions were granted for setting up, a 30-bed COVID-19 isolation facility for tribal residents in Mannanur village near Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district.
4,000 people dwell across five villages in Mannanur. The facility that has one doctor, four nurses and six volunteers, has been functional since May 25 along with doctors’ consultation virtually . All patients here are provided with the required care, medicines and nutritious supplement at free cost.
The IFS officer said, “The tents in the fields were hot and I wasn’t sure if they were able to access proper food. The people in the villages here live in small houses without interior walls. Around eight to 10 members live in one house”. He further added that the villagers mostly lack basic amenities and felt the facility would be of great help if he provided nice food and place.