Resident associations pitch in to raise Covid-19 awareness

Coimbatore: The Race Course and Neighbourhood Association (RANA) last week circulated a brochure on Covid-19 to provide information about the deadly virus.
Most importantly, it explained what a patient should do when symptoms manifest. Besides details of government and private hospitals approved to provide treatment and whom to notify if samples at a private laboratory tests positive, the RANA document also listed the medical equipment people in the risk group should have at home, from where they can be bought and how to home isolate.
“While we circulated it on WhatsApp, we also printed 150 copies to distribute to households that have elderly people,” said J Sathish, a member of the association.
The pandemic has prompted several resident associations to come up with innovative ways to create awareness and reassure people.
The resident association of Ganapathymanagar, which has 1,100 houses spread across four blocks, launched a WhatsApp group with 200 members. “We keep updating the number of sanitary inspectors in our ward, whom to contact if residents have symptoms and the nearest PHC they can visit to give sample. We also asked our members to update their status on the Aarogya Setu app,” said association president Pugazhendhi. “We keep in touch with ward 41 coordinator Salim Kumar and update our residents with information on new containment zones in the area and places to stay away from.”
Ward 54, which falls in Ramnagar, also has an active resident-driven WhatsApp group. Members who are in the corporation’s Swachh group give updates on latest prevention measures and strategies.
Keeping residents informed reduces the burden on the government and the health department, said Sathish. “We came across several residents who had many questions regarding handling the virus. We decided to create this document to pacify our neighbours, who were constantly calling the Covid-19 helpline to clarify doubts and to bring down the number of anxious people turning up at hospitals. Now, they can call the point person and take it from there,” said Sathish.
“Keeping residents informed also make them more cooperative when health officers’ surveillance the area and launch disinfection measures,” said Pugazhendhi.
The trend has prompted the Coimbatore corporation to develop a document in both English and Tamil on symptoms of the virus, what to do, whom to contact and how to home isolate.