COVID-19 RELIEF

The COVID-19 pandemic had severely affected the public health infrastructure worldwide. GAMANA relief work was confined to our IA of Mangalagiri, Thullur and Tadepalli Mandals of APCRDA. COVID pandemic and lockdown measures led to loss of livelihood, hampered education, loss of capital, severe implications on all aspects of health be it physical, emotional, mental, or social aspects. Nutritional status of children and families in marginalized communities was adversely affected.

Primary health care was provided through GAMANA health care, Tele-health clinics through VANI through its IVR system, triage for symptoms of COVID-19, prompt referrals, provision of O2 oxygen concentrators, sanitizers, soaps, face masks and shields, health education, COVID Safety Kits, dry rations and essential supplies, besides counseling and promotion of vaccine acceptance were some of the essential activities which were carried out by GAMANA team and frontline health professionals.

We remain grateful to our donor partner Covid Action Collab and Give India for providing timely assistance. GAMAN worked with the beneficiaries who are highly engaged in the informal sector. The informal sector has faced the highest losses of livelihood, which has also led to increased hunger and poverty. These beneficiaries included rickshaw pullers in towns, cities and distant villages, barbers, manual scavengers and garbage pickers, street vendors and domestic servants, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, brick kiln and construction workers who migrate from villages to cities and towns in search of work and sex-workers. Lack of livelihood and reduced incomes pose major barriers for them to access sufficient food.