As a courageous Seethalakshmi, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) (name changed on request) moves from one house to another in a COVID-19 hotspot of Islampet she gets a cold response from the panic-stricken residents.
The health worker uses all her persuasive skills to find out whether there are any persons with the symptoms of coronavirus or those who have visited a foreign country recently.
Denizens look with suspicion the purpose of the door-to-door survey and try to hide information fearing that they may be shifted to a hospital or a quarantine centre. Some persons have even mistaken the cluster containment action plan survey for the one in connection with the National Register for Citizens (NRC). The problem of the health worker does not end with the collection of data in a hostile environment under the hot sun.
Concerns at home
"Fearing that I may catch the infection while moving around in an area with positive cases, my in-laws are putting pressure on me to not to go for the risky work," the 30-year-old health worker tells The Hindu while taking a small break.
She avoids telling other family members that she was on COVID-19 duty, adds the woman after answering a phone call from her anxious parents living in Chirala. The neighbours who used to mingle freely with her, are avoiding her now, she laments.
Though the ASHAs were ill-equipped initially, they are now provided with adequate personal protective equipment, including a pair of gloves and a mask.
Once she wears the gown and the mask, she avoids drinking water or visiting the washroom as she fears getting infected if she removes them in between and there is no chance of getting a fresh PPE.
Incentive
It will be nice if the government provides an extra incentive for the tough work being done by the health workers risking their lives, she feels.
