PremiumNITI Aayog, government’s policy think tank and Piramal Foundation on Tuesday launched Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaanin in 112 Aspirational Districts to assist district administrations in providing home-care support to Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
The campaign is expected to play a key role in district preparedness for managing nearly 70% of Covid cases at home, reducing pressure on the health system, and stemming the spread of fear amongst the people. The campaign will also undertake capacity building of citizens for correct usage of Oxygen concentrators that have been supplied to these districts.
The program is being part of a special initiative, Aspirational Districts Collaborative, in which local leaders, civil societies and volunteers work with district administrations to address emerging problems across key focus areas of the Aspirational Districts Programme.
‘Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan is a significant initiative that responds to immediate needs and will provide long-term support to India’s poorest communities in the Aspirational Districts by addressing the lasting impact of Covid-19," NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said.
Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan will be led by district magistrates in partnership with over 1000 local NGOs, which will enlist and train over 1 lakh volunteers to connect with patients through inbound/outbound calls. Piramal Foundation will work with district magistrates to support the training of NGOs and volunteers.
‘We aim to reach every affected person in the 112 Aspirational Districts. We call all stakeholders—Government, NGOs, communities, and others—to join hands and offer their service in this initiative of the Aspirational Districts Collaborative," said Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group.
NGOs will mobilize local volunteers to provide home-care support to those affected, based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Volunteers will be trained to support 20 affected families each by educating caretakers to follow Covid protocols, provide psycho-social support and timely updates about patients to the administration.
