Berhampur: Around 700 people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Ganjam district have come forward to assist the administration. The 700 people also known as ‘COVID Bandhus’ are persuading symptomatic people to go for testing. The COVID Bandhus are also helping them with counselling to drive out the anxieties related to coronavirus. This information was given by officials here Tuesday.
Ganjam is being considered one of the coronavirus hotspot in Odisha. It has reported over 13,000 cases. The administration has launched a programme named ‘COVID Bandhu’. The programmed is meant to rope in those who have recovered, they said.
Modus operandi of ‘COVID Bandhus’
Around 700 people have registered their names and many of them are already on the field. They are motivating people to go for testing, said project director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Sidharth Shankar Swain. He is the nodal officer on COVID-19 management in Ganjam district. Swain informed the ‘COVID Bandhus (friends)’ are on a mission to build confidence among the people to fight against the deadly virus. They ‘COVID Bandhus’ have fanned out across the district to work among the people, he said.
Experience of ‘COVID Bandhus’
Amulya Upadhaya of Bhetanai village in Aska block said some shopkeepers were reluctant to go for testing. They were suspected of being silent spreaders of coronavirus. “I explained to them about my experience, following which they went for testing,” informed Upadhaya.
“We (COVID Bandhus) have conducted at least three meetings in the village. It was followed by the swab tests of the shopkeepers after I came out from home isolation,” he added.
Creating awareness
The ‘COVID Bandhus’ are campaigning and creating awareness among the people by narrating their experiences. This information was given by K Durga Prasad Rao, the sarpanch of Badakhandi in Hinjili block.
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“I completed my home isolation two days ago. Then I started motivating people to come forward for swab sample tests in our village and nearby villages. More and more people are going for testing,” informed N Dambaru Reddy of Kotharsing in Rangeilunda block.
Santoshini Mohanty of Kanchuru village of Hinjili block is another ‘COVID Bandhu’. “We reached out to the people, especially to the women over phone and social media. We asked them to go for early testing without any fear,” stated Mohanty.
Kulange lauds effort
Ganjam District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said more people were going for swab tests now due to the work being done by the ‘COVID Bandhus’. “They reach out to the people, explain their experiences as a patient. They also conduct counselling to the suspected people and remove fear from their minds,” Kulange informed.