On a normal day, Panchami Nayak, an Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha), would go around Mali Sahi, the red light area of the state, counselling pregnant women, sex workers and children, ensuring that they get all the basic health facilities.
But these are not normal times, the 55-year-old Panchami is now a soldier in the war against the coronavirus pandemic. She is now part of the state government’s campaign for door-to-door survey to trace Covid-19 patients from the slums in the urban areas and villages in rural areas. Like her 47,0000 Asha workers fanned out across the state to undertake the survey that began on Tuesday.
Popularly known as Asha Didi, Panchami told The Telegraph: “I have to look after the welfare of 1,500 people, including the sex workers who reside in the slums under my supervision. Sometimes they get pregnant and I have to take them for delivery. Now my responsibility has increased manifold. I am going from door-to-door to check the health status of each sex worker.” She knows each one by name.
Working on a meagre honorarium of Rs 3,500 per month she hardly ever grumbles. “When I started working, I was not getting a single pie. Now I am getting at least some money. Yes, we fear contacting the coronavirus. But seeing the complete trust of these slum dwellers in me I feel even more determined to discharge my duty honestly. Their faith in me is a great motivating factor,” said Panchami.
She has earned the praise of the leader of the sex workers in Mali Sahi. “Asha Didi is very affectionate. She never cares about her own health and ensures that we don’t fall ill. It is thanks to her efforts that we have not yet contracted the coronavirus. However, business is yet to pick up as the people are scared of coming to us now. Once the tests are done and our locality is declared corona-free things will improve,” said Nagamani Rao, 60, the leader of Mali Sahi sex workers.
The door-to-door survey has been necessitated because of a spike in positive cases with the tally reaching 4,163. The state has also reported 11 deaths so far.
While Asha Didis have been engaged in door-to-door surveillance, Anganwadi workers have been entrusted with the job of ensuring that migrants workers lodged in the temporary medical centres (TMC) get the required services, including food. “Besides creating awareness in our area, we are ensuring that the migrant workers in TMCs live happily,” said Sukanti Maharana, 52, anganwadi worker of Satpatna in the Bolgarh area of Khurda district.
Director, National Health Mission (NRHM), Odisha, Shalini Pandit said: “Door-to-door survey has begun from today and will go on till July 31. If one person is a slum in the city tests positive we will have to conduct tests on nearly 250 people. We are taking all steps to ensure that all symptomatic persons and close contacts of Covid-19 patients undergo tests without fail.”
Officials claimed that Odisha has emerged as a model state in the management of Covid-19.
“Now tests are being conducted in 17 labs of 10 districts, including the Regional Medical Research Centre. The number of tests has crossed 2 lakh (2,05,501). At present, the emphasis is on testing all persons with symptoms or those coming in contact with Covid-19 patients,” officials said.
