COVID-19 Relief Opportunities in India

A. Training frontline health workers for providing COVID-19 home care to rural communities in Uddhanam.

People with pre-existing health conditions like diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease living in rural communities of the country are at increased risk of developing complications due to COVID-19. Many of them are also unlikely to have access to information about warning signs of low oxygen, pulse oximeters or oxygen and life-saving medications.

The George Institute India proposes to directly work with community leaders and self-help groups in the Uddhanam region of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and equip frontline health workers in early recognition of the warning symptoms and signs. We also are aiming to initiate early interventions in the homecare setting by using telecommunication tools such as WhatsApp and mobile phones.

A unique community oxygenator lending programme is also being envisaged that will allow revolving availability of oxygen as per need with strict infection control processes undertaken by trained volunteers / healthcare staff.

In addition, we are developing a package of interventions including essential health information in local languages and easy to comprehend short videos. We will provide home care kits comprising of thermometer, pulse oximeter, antipyretics, masks etc for household use when someone is symptomatic.

Towards this end, we are working with a technology partner and will be deploying a mobile messaging based remote monitoring system to identify those at risk and ensure timely support and triage. We also envisage that medicines for pre-existing conditions would need to be delivered at the doorstep of people when entire families are infected with COVID-19.

We will cover a target population of about 1 lakh persons in the high NCD burden district of Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh where we are already working with communities to prevent chronic kidney disease of unknown origin.

We need financial assistance to support 5000 families with home based care, doorstep delivery of medicines, community oxygenerators and remote patient monitoring.

For contributions from foreign bank accounts, foreign passport holders and all others, donate online by clicking here

To donate from Indian banks please contact Mr Rajesh Arora (rarora@georgeinstitute.org.in)

For further queries please contact Dr Oommen John (ojohn@georgeinstitute.org.in)

B. Support COVID-19 Solidarity Relief

Volunteers from the Aman Biradri Trust and the Centre for Equity Studies as well as other civil society organisations have come together under the campaign banner of Karwan e Mohabbat (Caravan of Love)

To mitigate the distress of the current health and economic disaster we have started to extend solidarity relief to the communities we have been consistently engaged with - comprising families of victims of hate crimes, lynching, those affected by the Northeast Delhi communal violence, especially families headed by single or widowed women, disabled or old persons, children, and those who are homeless in the following ways:

• Providing oxygen concentrators, oximeters, masks and sanitizers to homeless and other poorest populations
• Testing and treatment of the most vulnerable
• Organizing oxygen langars for the homeless in Delhi so they have access to emergency medical relief
• Food and ration kits to the homeless, riot survivors in Delhi, and other most vulnerable families such as those in the river islands of Assam, women-led refugee families and transgender people
• Pensions and educational support for widow survivors of hate violence and their children who are even more vulnerable during this unprecedented humanitarian crisis, as well as health care and disability rehabilitation
• Help in dignified funerals

Currently, our partner, needs INR 5,000,000 to extend the relief support to 300000 people in their communities. To donate, please follow below details:

1) For Contributions from Indian Bank Accounts:

Bank Account: Aman Biradari Trust

Account Number: 010104000156950

Bank Name: IDBI Bank

Bank Branch: Siri Fort, New Delhi -110049

IFSC Code: IBKL0000010

2) For Contributions from Foreign Bank Accounts, Foreign Passport Holders and all others:

PayUMoney - https://payu.in/web/79B86F1A6F4D6B8D2D380F2AE4D77DE7

For further queries please contact Bincy Mathew (bmathew@georgeinstitute.org.in)

C. Safeguarding marginalised communities with COVID19 emergency relief and response activities in Guntur and Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh

ARISE project partner, Dalit Bahujan Resource Centre (DBRC) is seeking funds to support and safeguard 1000 marginalized communities with COVID19 emergency relief and response activities. The marginalised communities are waste pickers, HIV infected people/children, transgender, differently abled and migrants living in poverty, high exposure to infections, jobless with mild symptoms or asymptomatic and struggling for suitable infrastructure, care and support from the government and society to overcome institutional barriers, societal limitations and behavioural changes. COVID19 has increased their vulnerabilities and put them at high risk.

1. Short-term support
   • Awareness and counselling sessions to sensitise and prevent spread, self-prevention/isolation strategies etc.
   • Hygiene kits (Provide soaps, masks, gloves, sanitisers, shampoos, towels, sanitary pads etc.)
   • Dry ration kits
   • Nutrition Supplements to provide children of outdoor learning centres with (Milk packet/raagi malt/chikki – based on availability /reachability) to improve their immunity
   • Linkages with health providers, pharmacy and labs for testing, screening, treatment, medicines and care support.
   • Promote and support vaccination drive for registration for vaccine and access to vaccine for self and family. Advocate with the government for enrolment of Waste Pickers & Transgender for vaccination as they don’t possess ID Cards

Our partner DBRC needs INR 2,000,000 to provide the above relief support to 1000 families.

2. Livelihood support to 70 people to buy 3 wheeler rickshaw, 4 wheeler pushcart and petty shop)

The total funds required are INR 850,000. To donate for the above purposes, follow below details.   

1) For contributions from Indian banks:

DALIT BAHUJAN RESOURCE CENTRE
A/c 16710100035365
Bank: Federal Bank
Branch: Arundelpet,14th line, Guntur.
IFSC code: FDRL0001671

2) For contributions from foreign bank accounts, foreign passport holders and all others:

Account no: 40102285175

Bank name: State Bank of India

Branch code: 00691

IFSC: SBIN0000691

SWIFT: SBININBB104

Bank address: 11, Sansad Marg, New Delhi- 1

For further queries please contact Surekha Garimella (sgarimella@georgeinstitute.org.in) and Prasanna Saligram (psaligram@georgeinstitute.org.in)

D. Help India’s Most Invisible Frontline Covid Workers – Waste Pickers

Hasirudala our ARISE project partner in Bangalore, is actively engaged in providing relief support to waste pickers and migrant workers in different cities of Karnataka & Andhra.

Food and medical support for 6,000 affected waste-picker families in 24 cities in Karnataka and 2 in Andhra Pradesh.

1. Ration kits: 10 kg rice, 2kg dal, 1 kg sugar, 1 kg salt, tea powder, chilli powder, oil, soaps, and masks. Each kit costs us about 1200, to buy, assemble and dispatch.
2. Medical and sanitation kits for families with COVID19 positive members: Generic medicines and nutrition supplements, disinfectants, hygiene products, childcare products, patient care products, etc. and cost of medical assistance and services.
3. Additional support: Doctor assistance and medical support, awareness-building, and hygiene training with the community at large.
4. Child Care and support for children whose both parents have been affected by COVID and require additional support to see themselves through these troubled times. 

In addition, Hasirudala is facilitating a community centre to care for COVID-19 patients among the waste picking communities

To donate please visit - https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/HasiruDalaCovidRelief

For further queries please contact Surekha Garimella (sgarimella@georgeinstitute.org.in) and Prasanna Saligram (psaligram@georgeinstitute.org.in)

To know more about the other Indian national and local organizations engaged in COVID relief work, please click the link here for more details.

For any other details regarding organisation COVID relief and response work please contact Abhishek Shandilya (AShandilya@georgeinstitute.org.in)

Learn more about The George Institute's COVID-19 Response in India.