The Dhaka Times Desk South Korea is one of the first countries after China to be hit by Covid-19 in a big way. But they controlled with a firm hand. So what is the secret of South Korea's corona success?
However, South Korea has not made the mistakes that the United States or many European countries have made. South Korea has been dealing with this epidemic by following strict rules from the beginning. They have drastically reduced the spread of the virus without locking down the entire country. These steps of the country can be followed by other countries and civil society.
Now the question is how South Korea was able to do this? The first thing that plays the biggest role in this matter is now known by everyone. And that is that the South Korean government has placed importance on large-scale health tests (aggressive testing) and contact tracing or finding people who have been in contact with an infected person in order to combat the corona virus. Along with this, they have also given utmost importance to ensuring the personal safety of doctors and health workers.
But testing and tracing alone could not prevent the spread of the virus. Civil society including non-governmental organizations, NGOs and trade unions of the country have been monitoring the situation closely all along. They also looked at the responsibility and accountability of the government. Because of this there was very little scope for negligence in the performance of the government's duties. That is, South Korean society has played an important role in activating the government to fight the epidemic. The government quickly produced high-quality test kits through government technology and private manufacturing firms. Moreover, it has developed a system to check the health of a large number of people with maximum speed. The government health centers of the country have also played a central role in this regard.
The number of testing centers in the country is now more than 600 because the South Korean government took this step at the very beginning of the corona outbreak in the country. In addition, there are 80 drive-thru centers, from which health workers can quickly reach suspected infected people by car. Thus, South Korea is now able to test 20,000 people every day. Apart from this, arrangements have been made to provide health check-up and first aid for suspected infected persons completely free of cost.
As soon as the infection of corona virus is detected in the body of a person, he is sent to quarantine by the local government; His identity and his recent whereabouts and movement history have also been revealed. Knowing where he went and what vehicles he used, people who came in contact with him could easily get into quarantine. Authorities have also relied on mobile phone GPS data, credit card transaction records and CCTV footage for contact tracing. The use of these personal data is legal in South Korea and is believed to be very helpful in preventing virus transmission. However, it has been accused of violating privacy or privacy. The country's human rights commission has urged the government to exercise caution in making the names of victims public.
Along with doctors, the role of trade unions and NGOs is very important in the corona war. In the country, trade unions play a role in paying wages to companies to help workers who have lost their jobs stay at home. NGOs have also provided guidance to the government to ensure that fundamental human rights are not violated.
A liberal policy is adopted by the government regarding immigrants. For example, the government announced that if an illegal immigrant comes for a health check, he will not be detained or sent back to his country at a later date. The biggest thing is that the government is moving forward in coordination with private organizations. The goodwill of both parties has made the work easier in the country. We too can follow these principles.
References: Prothom-alo
Things to do to prevent Corona virus
# stay at home all the time.
# Follow the rules and use mask when going out for emergency.
# three-layer surgical mask can be washed if desired.
# wash clothes after coming home from outside. Or hang it without shaking for at least four hours.
# Wash hands thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) with soap or liquid before coming outside.
# plastic PPE or eyes, face, head must be washed thoroughly with detergent and dried after one use.
# Wear PPE made of cloth or clean as described.
# Use a head cap that completely covers the hair.
# Those who have sneeze cough should follow all the rules promulgated by the government. Also, wash hands as directed before and after handling food items, keys, switches, mice, remote controls, mobiles, watches, computer desks, TVs, etc. and after using the bathroom. Those who have dry hands use Moisture after washing their hands. Soap or hand liquid can be used. Why can this virus remain in the crackle (cracked part) of dry hands? Avoid using highly alkaline soaps or detergents.
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