An extensive network of volunteers, working in coordination with primary health centres and government hospitals, has enabled Aid India, an NGO, to carry out COVID-19 relief work in 484 villages across Tamil Nadu. The NGO is now focussing on creating awareness of vaccination and facilitating inoculation camps.
While Aid India had worked on welfare initiatives during the first wave, its efforts gathered pace during the second wave, its founder Balaji Sampath said. The organisation concentrated its efforts on villages where it has started education initiatives. Besides volunteers associated with the organisation in each village, several others joined it.
“Through our volunteers, we first worked on providing rations to families whose one member had tested positive. Many of them are daily wage labourers, and having to stay at home would impact their livelihood,” Mr. Sampath said. Another area of attention was ensuring transport between remote villages and the nearest hospitals or primary health centres. “For each block we worked at, one vehicle and a driver from the area were engaged for COVID-19-related emergencies,” he said.
Aid India volunteers also worked much like the fever survey workers in Chennai: they were equipped with thermal scanners and pulse oximeters, and were constantly in touch with the residents in their areas.
Role of coordination
“They had a very important part to play in coordinating between the people and hospitals nearby, besides helping to arrange for teleconsultations, provisions and any other home-care needed. The volunteers were routinely trained, and nurses, too, were engaged to help them,” Aid India director M. Damodharan said.
Mr. Damodharan said the volunteers were now playing an important role in ensuring that people in their villages got vaccinated. “They start off by preparing a list of persons willing to take the shot, and if the number is large, they help in organising camps and controlling crowds,” he said. So far, 49,859 persons have been vaccinated in the villages where Aid India has been working.
Mr. Sampath said the government hospitals and the primary health centres had been very supportive of Aid India’s efforts. The NGO had also opened 12 COVID-19 care centres in partnership with them.
“We are working with a holistic approach, wherein all aspects, including the availability of essentials, transport and vaccinations, are covered,” he said.
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