Rural India has nearly half the Covid caseload, but less than 10% of Covid treatment centers in the country. In this context, the role of frontline workers (ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, ANMs) becomes immensely important for triaging and managing the disease.
Frontline workers actively track and follow-up with millions of symptomatic and Covid-positive cases in rural areas daily. Unless their safety is ensured, more than half of India’s population is not safe. Yet, most remain unequipped and fall victim to the disease themselves.
A basic safety kit will significantly reduce their risk of contracting Covid. Project CHHAAV in association with ImpactGuru.com seeks to support India’s frontline community health workers with a basic safety kit, a pulse oximeter, and a pair of thermometers.
The volunteers from IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore have started a fundraiser in India’s top crowdfunding platform ImpactGuru.com for an amount of 1 crore which will allow health workers to mount an effective response to Covid-19 while ensuring their own safety.
This initiative intends to provide self contained medical kits for 700 villages in rural Madhya Pradesh, India. Each kit will contain 1 oximeter, 1 digital thermometer, 2 face shields, and 5-layer reusable polypropylene mask.
The fundraiser has so far received tremendous support from well-wishers across the country. Please find below details in the fundraiser link: https://www.impactguru.com/fundraiser/chhaav-by-iim. As of now close to 45 lakhs have been raised via the fundraiser from 692 donors and 1935 safety kits for Anganwadi workers & helpers and 1182 safety kits (with 1 oximeter and 2 thermometers) for ASHA, ANMs and ASHA supervisors have reached Barwani district in MP.
