Vinili Simpson, the Tiruvallur district Maternal & Child Health Officer, visits the containment zones in the district every day to monitor the condition of pregnant women. She returns home every day, stressed out.
To help officials like her and other medical officials, nurses and anganwadi workers working in containment zones, Tiruvallur Collector Mageshwari Ravikumar organised a yoga workshop on Saturday. “The idea was to help us combat stress and improve our immunity. We know the transmission mode and we wear Personal Protective Equipment. So we are not frightened. But we do encounter physical stress and yoga will be of great help,” said Ms. Simpson.
K.R. Jawaharlal, deputy director, health, Tiruvallur district, said that in the first phase 75 health and anganwadi staff were taught five types of breathing during the 40-minute yoga session. They were also provided with the herbal drink kabasura kudineer. “The others will be taught in the coming days,” he said.
There are over 400 personnel, including staff nurses and anganwadi staff who work in the 19 containment zones in the district. As on date, there are 52 COVID-19 positive cases in Tiruvallur district out of which 14 have been discharged.
“Our teams check the residents in containment zones every day. If someone tests positive, then we shift them to the government hospitals in Chennai. Besides, we monitor the pregnant women in the zones. Out of the 887 pregnant women, 789 delivered this month and 98 are yet to deliver,” he said.
