Bengaluru's last-mile volunteer connect during Covid-19

Better prepared and organised than last year, an army of volunteers has fanned out across the city to help Covid-19 patients

Caught unawares by the pandemic last year, the State’s fumbling response had a face-saver: A massive, tidal wave of volunteers who fanned out to help Covid-19 victims across the city. This year, as the second wave devastates lives and livelihoods, they are back again, smarter, faster and far better organised.

Last year, volunteer groups spread across Bengaluru had worked out an entire supply chain from scratch, reaching cooked food, rations and medicines to thousands of affected families. This time, as the Covid battle rages, the focus has shifted to the last-mile outreach of oxygen supplies, vaccine awareness and triage for further medical help.

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Last-mile connect

The current lockdown’s impact on livelihoods might be less intense than last year. But people are still struggling for hospital beds with oxygen, ambulances, concentrators, and vaccine shortages. The volunteers are trying to sort out the last-mile disconnect, which has triggered a tsunami of woes in recent weeks.

The belated, ward-focussed decentralised Covid battle strategy has brought to life 48 triage centres till date. Volunteers and volunteer groups form a critical link in this strategy. For instance, over 50 volunteers in Mahadevapura and K R Puram are now active, using ‘Tele-triage’ as a method to identify and streamline the process at the local level.

Tele-triage process

Coordinating the ‘Tele-triage’ process, Varthur-based Jagadish Reddy explains, “We are identifying people right at the testing stage from the Primary Health Centres (PHCs). Based on data from the PHC doctors, we call the people, sensitise them about Covid-19 protocols and urge them to stay indoors.”

Once the results show positive, the primary contacts are traced and data fed into a central portal by the volunteers. “After three days of data collection and contact-tracing, we do the Tele-triage. Questions about fever, oxygen saturation levels, cough, comorbidities, pregnancy and other matters are asked, their statements recorded and based on the condition, marked as SOS or ‘Attention’.”

This data is fed into focus groups on the WhatsApp platform. “These groups have doctors, nursing and other health personnel. They take it up from there for further action related to beds, oxygen and other requirements,” Jagadish explains.

Decentralised system

The new decentralised system is integrated into this process. “We are putting up the same system in all the wards here. If a patient’s condition is worsening, we ensure that they are referred to a doctor and connected to the nearest Triage centre and later to a Covid Care Centre (CCC).”

Addressing the Covid concerns in slums, Malarvizhi from ActionAid Association and Jhansi from the Slum Mahila Sanghatane have 120 volunteers with their focus in the wards of K R Market, Chalavadipalya, Jagajeevan Ram Nagar and Gali Anjaneyapalya.

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Targeting slums

Closely working with the PHCs, they have perfected a strategy based on testing, tracing, isolating, monitoring and hospitalisation, as Malarvizhi puts it. “We have set up help desks in all the four wards. Our community volunteers work as a safety net, each caring for 500 households. Families could call their numbers for emergencies.” A conscious effort is made to build trust by following up on positive patients at home. “Their well-being is monitored. Communities are encouraged to come forward for testing, vaccination and quarantining in Covid Care Centres. They are educated on the need for it,” Malarvizhi explains.

Besides, an autorickshaw campaign has been launched to create mass awareness on Covid appropriate behaviour and vaccination. Based on learnings from the slum environment, the organisation has urged the government to set up CCCs at the ward level to encourage isolation of slum dwellers.

“Home isolation in slums is a mockery. If one person tests positive, 5-6 others living within the small space gets infected. The largest living space is not more than 350sqft,” contends Malarvizhi.

Covid Care Centre

Having directly helped over 12,000 families affected by the lockdown last year, the non-government collective, Hasiru Dala has stepped up again this year to set up a CCC in St Joseph’s College. “Opened two days ago, this Centre will cater to people from underprivileged sections, who are either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms,” informs Lakshmi from the Dala.

The Centre will have a separate section for children orphaned by the death of their parents due to Covid. “Beyond this, we are supplying ration kits, and making testing and vaccination facilities accessible to people in over 50 slums.”