The Women and Child Development department has launched a programme to ensure the health of pregnant women and the elderly in the wake of the spread of COVID-19 variants.
‘Kudumbangalilekku anganwadi’ is a community-based event being implemented as part of the Sampushta Keralam project to enquire about the welfare of pregnant women and the elderly, ensure their health against the backdrop of the Omicron spread, and conduct awareness programmes.
Anganwadi workers will get in touch with pregnant women, lactating mothers, and senior citizens who come under their anganwadi jurisdiction over the phone and enquire about their welfare. In the case of those experiencing health problems, the workers will get in touch with the rapid response team (RRT) of the ward concerned to provide needed help.
Anganwadi workers have to contact at least 20 persons a day. Details collected must be handed over to the RRT the same day. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) supervisors are in charge of monitoring the anganwadi workers. The data will be collated at the district level by programme officers.
An amount of ₹250 has been allocated to each anganwadi so that workers (or helpers in their absence) can recharge their phones for a month. With the State having 33,115 anganwadis in all, an amount of ₹82.78 lakh has been sanctioned, of which 80% is the Central component and the rest that of the State.
