In the devastating second wave of COVID-19, marginalized communities suffered more than others due to a lack of medical facilities and essentials. In this regard, ChildFund India in collaboration with ‘Project HOPE’ and initiated an intervention to help vulnerable communities in urban areas of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Through the initial response, we furnished primary and secondary healthcare centers, which serve as COVID-19 care centers, with essential medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators and masks, monitors, etc. so that critical patients receive timely medical care. We also provided essential kits to frontline workers and marginalized families and worked to improve access to COVID -19 vaccination for all vulnerable groups.
As several reports had warned that children could be the next vulnerable group during the subsequent waves, we had planned to provide medical equipment and had sett up child-friendly facilities at selected urban pediatrics COVID-19 treatment centers. Also, we developed management protocols to train their healthcare staff and frontline workers on treating children with COVID-19. Furthermore, we trained community groups, such as slums health committees and mothers’ committees, to manage and mitigate the disease as part of the pediatric COVID-19 care action plan so that our children are holistically protected from this pandemic.