Asha worker Parbati puts her best foot forward to fight COVID-19
In the wake of COVID-19, Parbati has been on her toes for the past few weeks gathering details about people who are home-quarantined in her village and others who could be vulnerable, at the drop of a hat. She stands as a pillar of strength and support for those who are isolated by supplying them with food kits and medicines. She is also generating awareness among the people to maintain social distance in the village and educating them on regular hand washing.
Caption: Parbati doing a regular checkup of a pregnant women in her community
She works in a rural community of Mayurbhanj district in Orissa which has a very low literacy rate and people rely more on local quacks to treat illness rather than seeking professional medical help. As a member of Self Help Group under Plan India’s ‘partner NGO Association for Rural Awareness and Mass Voluntary Action (ARAMVA)’, she along with other members are making and selling masks, something they learnt during a tailoring workshop last year. ARAMVA also empowered her with appropriate knowledge, skill, and attitude through a training programme last year, which is now helping her to deliver her duties of an active frontline healthcare worker in the face of global pandemic outbreak. Even before the lockdown was announced, she was mobilizing youth leaders of ARAMVA–Plan project to help her stop non-essential and indiscriminate movement from in and out of the village and motivating people to stay indoors.
During her capacity building training, she developed skills and knowledge to facilitate healthcare services, adolescent health, social education, child health care, pregnancy care, safe delivery, lactating mother care, growth monitoring, public health counseling etc. She is now able to perform her duties in an impactful and desired manner and ensuring the safety of the people of her village and the surrounding communities.
Caption: Parbati checking the weight of a new born baby in her community
She also counsels women on birth preparedness, institutional delivery, importance of safe delivery and breastfeeding. She accompanies pregnant women to health centres for antenatal check-up, delivery and postnatal check-up and mobilises people to facilitate them in accessing health related services including medical care for minor ailments and new born care.
Parbati is among hundreds of other Asha workers whom Plan India is striving to empower so that they can bring an impact in the health outcomes of the people in their communities.
To know about Plan India response on COVID19 click here