COVID-19 RELIEF AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

#VirusPeVijay

How we touched lives when the pandemic struck –

A report

INTRODUCTION

The world is grappling with the menace of coronavirus, a new virus which we do not know much about. In this situation, preventing people from infection is the only strategy health experts have accepted. India's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, among other things, revolves around raising awareness by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

To support the Government of India, The Leprosy Mission Trust India (TLMTI) rolled out a 4-week COVID-19 Relief and Awareness Campaign - #VirusPeVijay, in mid April. TLMTI is using various channels at all levels, from traditional to digital media. Through this initiative, TLMTI aims to reach the key messages of this campaign to the target communities and encourage them to join the fight in defeating the spread of the virus. Also, as part of the campaign, TLMTI, in close coordination with state governments and district administration, provides relief work by providing food and sanitation items to thousands of people across the country.

RELIEF AND

RESPONSE WORK

As much as COVID-19 is a global health crisis, it is also a human crisis. The world’s biggest lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic hit India’s daily wage labourers and other vulnerable population, like people affected by leprosy, people with disabilities, the most. Under the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, most have no work and no income, and their life tumbled into the depth of misery.

TLMTI hospitals, vocational training centres and community empowerment projects across the country responded to this humanitarian crisis by providing them with food assistance, such as cooked food, dry rations, vegetables and other daily essentials, and sanitation kits that include masks, gloves, sanitisers and soaps.

Through this campaign, TLMTI provided 60,000 people with cooked food, 8,000 with dry ration and grocery kits, 3,000 with sanitation kits and 4,000 people were supported through tele-counselling and 1,000 patients were given treatment through mobile clinics.

ANDHRA PRADESH

TLM Vizianagaram VTC distributed dry ration, grocery items and face masks/ sanitation kits to the most vulnerable.

ANDHRA PRADESH

TLM Salur Hospital supplied cooked food for inpatients who could not return to their homes because of the lockdown.

TLMTI’s Children Unite for Action project distributed grocery to people from marginalised communities.

BIHAR

TLMTI’s Children Unite for Action project distributed food kits to the marginalised communities.

TLM Muzaffarpur Hospital responded to the pandemic by distributing dry ration and grocery kits to people affected by leprosy in Gandhi Ashram, Motipur and four nearby villages.

CHHATTISGARH

TLM Champa Vocational Training Centre organised a community kitchen for people affected by leprosy and the local media reported it extensively.

CHHATTISGARH

TLM Chandkhuri Hospital, along with Building Resilient Communities project and Children Unite for Action project supplied cooking essentials.

TLM Chandkhuri Hospital distributed food kits to people affected by leprosy living in the nearby villages with the fund support of hospital staff and well-wishers.

TLMTI’s Building Resilient Communities project distributed wheat, rice and other cooking essentials to people affected by leprosy in leprosy colonies in Durgand Champa.

DELHI

Community Intervention Unit attached to TLM Shahdara Hospital distributed hygiene and grocery kits among older people affected by leprosy, disabilities and ulcers, in Tahirpur leprosy colony twice during the lockdown period.

TLMTI extended humanitarian aid in Belgaum, Karnataka, through

its leprosy clinic by distributing cooking essentials to people

affected by leprosy and people with disabilities.

KARNATAKA

MAHARASHTRA

TLMTI’s Jaagruti project and Udaan project in Kothara supplied wheat, rice, vegetables and other food items to people with disabilities in 20 villages in the tribal belt of Amravati, Maharashtra.

MAHARASTHRA

Community Kitchen organized by VTC Nashik.

TLM Kothara Hospital’s organic farming ensured constant supply of food grains and vegetables for providing cooked food to hospital inpatients.

TLM Nashik Vocational Training Centre supplied food packets every day, through the Nashik district collector’s office.

TAMIL NADU

TLMTI’s Inclusive Empowerment Project in Cuddalore, distributed dry ration kits and other relief materials to people affected by leprosy.

TAMIL NADU

TLMTI’s Inclusive Empowerment Project, Cuddalore, along with TLM Vadathorasalur Hospital launched a telemedicine service for providing healthcare services at doorstep of people affected by leprosy through its mobile clinic.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLM Faizabad Hospital, TLM Barabanki Hospital, TLM Faizabad Vocational Training Centre and Building Resilient Communities project distributed dry ration and grocery kits to marginalized families.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLM Naini Hospital reached out to police officials and distributed sanitation kits, masks, dry ration and grocery items.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLM Naini Hospital and TLMTI’s Building Resilient Communities project supplied cooked food, masks and sanitizers to migrant workers who have been the worst affected during the lockdown. Further, the staff of the hospital and a Snehalaya resident also donated food for inpatients.

TLM Faizabad Hospital, TLM Faizabad Vocational

Training Centre and College on Wheels project

supplied grocery items in leprosy colonies.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLMTI’s Building Resilient Communities project distributed grocery and sanitization kits to people affected by leprosy in Barabanki.

WEST BENGAL

TLM Bankura Vocational Training Centre provided dry ration and other relief materials to people affected by leprosy and other marginalized groups. The VTC produced face masks and supplied them to the poor and the needy and to the government health authorities in Bankura.

WEST BENGAL

TLMTI’s Children Unite for Action project supplied grocery and other food items to people affected by leprosy.

TLM Kolkata Hospital supplied cooking essentials to people affected by leprosy.

TLM Kolkata Hospital organised a community kitchen which was a great help to people affected by leprosy.

WEST BENGAL

TLM Kolkata Hospital provided doorstep medical service to people affected by leprosy during the nationwide lockdown.

Reaching the unreached-Mobile Community Clinics

Kolkata Vadathodasalur Faizabad

Vadathodasalur

Mobile Relief Distribution and Miking(Announcement) Vans

AWARENESS

MATERIALS CREATED

Awareness raising for behavioural change is key to fighting COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and international health agencies, like the World Health Organization underline the importance of some of the old habits that need to discarded and replaced by new, healthy ones to defeat COVID-19.

TLMTI developed a vast array of awareness materials in English, Hindi and regional languages focussing on social and behaviour change by raising awareness about symptoms and prevention, busting myths, providing information on mental well-being and care at-home under lockdown, and encouraging social distancing.

The awareness materials include printed posters and stickers for display in hospitals and public places, short videos, social media posters and Q&A on COVID-19 and leprosy, wall paintings with key messages, door-to-door mimes, weekly community challenges, mike announcements, audios of poems, jingle and folk songs, radio announcements and interviews.

TLMTI has run a social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter, highlighting TLMTI’s humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic and posting videos and social media

posters for creating awareness among the global community.

Social media posters

Sapna-themed print posters and stickers

Q&A Coronavirus and Leprosy brochure in English, Hindi, Marathi and Tamil

Video of champions Mangala and Suresh talking about stigma and urging people to fight the virusWatch it here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpKWR2kfCh0

7 Protective Measures Against Coronavirus - GIF

THANK YOU video - Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WlyX5yAYBA

COVID-19 explainer video in English and Hindi Watch it here: English- https://youtu.be/Ob2xhoXiVHIWatch it here: Hindi- https://youtu.be/BxQQi5fdjio

5-Rule for self-protection video in English and HindiWatch it here: English- https://youtu.be/Pgt7vOw7jJQWatch it here: Hindi- https://youtu.be/BxQQi5fdjio

7 COVID-19 myths busted videoWatch it here: https://youtu.be/lJu7OIPnzUw

Lockdown activities videoWatch it here: https://youtu.be/hBJ9-ipu5Tc

AWARENESS

PROGRAMMES

With the help of the awareness materials developed under the campaign #VirusPeVijay, TLMTI hospitals, VTCs and project staff spread awareness on social distancing, hand hygiene and use of face masks to slow the spread of the virus.

There were weekly community challenges. These challenges were taken up by units, staff members, champions, community members and hospital staff to increase ownership and have better understanding.

They encouraged children and community members to draw rangolis and posters highlighting key measures. The teams trained patients and community members on the importance of steps to be taken to avoid being affected by COVID-19. The hospitals have painted messages on wearing masks, social distancing and symptoms of COVID-19 on the floors of their consultation rooms, waiting area, outpatient department.

This apart, TLMTI’s social media followers are widely sharing TLMTI’s posters and videos on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Through this campaign, TLMTI reached over 10 lakh people with COVID-19 awareness messages.

Community Challenges

ANDHRA PRADESH

TLM Vizianagaram Vocational Training Centre conducted rangoli and painting/art and quiz programme for raising awareness among students, staff and alumni. TLM Salur Hospital drew rangoli designs with COVID-19 key messages in public places. Also, they conducted awareness on the usage of mask for its patients and nearby tribal communities.

ANDHRA PRADESH

TLM Salur Hospital conducted various activities for raising awareness about ‘Stay Home- Stay Safe’, safety precautions, usage and availability of face masks through Mask Movement.

TLM Vizianagaram Vocational Training Centre

generated awareness on COVID-19 through mike

announcement.

ANDHRA PRADESH

A staff of TLM Vocational Training Centre delivered a video message on ‘Stay Home Stay Safe’

Children of TLM Salur Hospital staff drew awareness posters on COVID-19.

TLMTI’s Children Unite for Action project involved members of Children’s Parliament

to create awareness by making posters/drawings which were pasted at key spots in

the community, in Vizianagaram. The project engaged the members on importance of

mask through video display and discussion.

ANDHRA PRADESH

Role play on the importance of wearing face mask

An awareness posterA video on the importance of wearing face mask

TLMTI’s Children Unite for Action project involved members of Children’s Parliament in Muzaffarpur to create

awareness by drawing awareness posters. These posters were displayed at key spots in the community. The project

also generated awareness through wall paintings.

BIHAR

CHHATTISGARH

TLMTI’s Children Unite for Action project engaged children to draw awareness posters and pasted them in public places. TLM Champa VTC identified key spots in the city and displayed awareness posters. TLMTI’s Building Resilient Communities project conducted a programme in Champa for raising awareness in a leprosy colony on preventive measures to stop the spread of coronavirus..

DELHI

Community Intervention Unit attached to TLM Shahdara Hospital, encouraged members of the Children’s Parliament in Tahirpur leprosy colony to draw posters and draw rangoli for awareness. The posters were displayed in the nearby shops and also in MCD dispensary in Tahirpur leprosy colony.

Community Intervention Unit attached to TLM Shahdara Hospital used interactive mediums to spread awareness in the community on COVID-19. Role play, video, action song, songs on corona by members of Children’s Parliament of Tahirpur leprosy colony were some of the ways adopted to impart messages on COVID-19.

DELHI

Community Awareness through role play by Children’s Parliament

Community Awareness by Children’s Parliament

Video song on COVID-19 by Children’s Parliament members

MAHARASHTRA

TLM Kothara Hospital conducted awareness programme by not just involving the staff but the hospital inpatients too! They came up with the innovative idea of making envelopes for dispensing medicines in the pharmacy with awareness messages. Apart from the awareness campaign, the hospital staff took care of the safety of the inpatients by stitching face masks for them.

MAHARASHTRA

TLMTI’s Udaan project engaged with local radio and TV channels to speak about COVID-19. They conducted drawing and rangoli activities for members of Children’s Parliament in ten villages of Achalpur and Chikhaldara. Sensitisation of duty bearers was conducted through Disabled People Organisations.

MAHARASHTRA

TLMTI’s Jaagruti project conducted art and painting activity/rangoli and mask making programme for people with disabilities and SHG members. TLM Nashik Vocational Training Centre conducted rangoli and painting/art as well as quiz programme for awareness among students, staff and alumni.

TAMIL NADU

TLMTI’s Inclusive Empowerment Project conducted COVID-19 awareness programmes through its mobile clinic, in Cuddalore district. TLM Vadathorasalur Hospital has been creating awareness by painting key messages on the floors of its consultation rooms, waiting area and outpatient

department.

TLM Naini Hospital used its OPD entrance to raise

awareness on COVID-19. The staff were sensitized to critical

preparedness, readiness and protective measures in the

pandemic situation. The team also sensitized inpatients to

social distancing, hand hygiene and mental health.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLMTI’s Building Resilient Communities project, Naini conducted poster drawing competitions, quiz, rangoli

making and singing competitions. The team spread awareness through WhatsApp.

Building Resilient Communities project, Barabanki spread awareness through mike announcements. Community

members educated their fellow villagers on COVID-19 through slogans, songs and posters.

UTTAR PRADESH

UTTAR PRADESH

The girls and women trained by TLMTI’s College on Wheels project stitched face masks with their own materials and distributed them among their own community/ They imparted information on the importance of wearing mask as a preventive measures among the community members.

WEST BENGAL

TLM Kolkata Hospital created awareness on COVID-19 through lectures, banners and painting competition in various places. Students of TLM Bankura Vocational Training Centre took part by drawing awareness posters and pasting them in public places. Children Unite for Action project encouraged children in Purulia to draw awareness posters and paste them in public places.

TLM Kolkata Hospital raised awareness through its nurses

on COVID-19 and its preventive measures. The children

performed plays on COVID-19 and produced songs and

poems.

TLM Bankura Vocational Training Centre conducted quiz to

help raise awareness among its students. The team also

used WhatsApp to share posters and infographics on

COVID-19. They also designed a banner with important

information.

.

WEST BENGAL

PROTECTIVE

MEASURES TAKEN

TLMTI hospitals have undertaken various measures to protect patients, their attendants and staff from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the entry points, disinfectants are sprayed on vehicles entering the premises and there is a facility to wash hands. Patients are screened for fever with the help of a thermal scanner. Every floor is painted with arrows and boxes to guide visitors to stand one meter away from others.

TLMTI teams encourage members of Self-Help Groups, hospital staff and patients to stitch face masks and supply them to vulnerable communities and teach them how to wear a mask and the importance of wearing one as a protection from the virus.

ANDHRA PRADESH

TLM Salur Hospital started a drive called ‘Mask Movement’ to provide masks to the underprivileged community and the local population of Salur. The female staff and spouses of staff and patients stitched masks for free distribution.

ANDHRA PRADESH

TLM Salur Hospital conducted mock drill for critical preparedness, supplied hospital-made face masks to Salur government hospital and introduced handwashing system for patients and visitors.

TLM Vizianagaram Vocational Training Centre stitched and distributed masks among members of disadvantaged

communities. They also produced face shields out of plastic water bottles.

ANDHRA PRADESH

CHHATTISGARH

TLMTI’s Building Resilient Communities projectsupported Self-Help Group (SHG) members to stitch face masks, and the project distributed them among the needy. The SHG got an order for supplying masks from the Janpad Gram Panchayat.

TLMTI’s Children Unite for Action project engaged members of Children’s Parliament, in Chandkhuri, in mask making.

DELHI

Member of Children’s Parliament developed by TLMTI’s Community Intervention Unit (CIU)Shahdara, demonstrated a simple and easy way to make mask.

CIU supported five SHGs, whose members made 50 bags and 30 face masks and supplied them to people affected by leprosy living in Tahirpur leprosy colony.

TLMTI’s Udaan Project engaged Children’s Parliament members and SHGs

for making masks. The project also developed face mask with transparent

mouth cover for the hearing-impaired for barrier free communication. TLM

Kothara Hospital staff stitched masks for inpatients as a preventive

measure for the safety of the patients.

MAHARASHTRA

TAMIL NADU

TLMTI’s Inclusive Empowerment Project produced cost-effective face shields which were distributed to Police personnel, health and sanitation workers and staff working in the containment zones. They were also distributed to medical staff in Chidambaram Rajah Muthaiah Medical College.

TAMIL NADU

TLM Vadathorasalur Vocational Training Centre stitched three-layer cotton face masks and supplied them to the most vulnerable people in Vadathorasalur and neighboring villages.

TAMIL NADU

TLM Vadathorasalur Hospital at its entrance has been spraying disinfectants on vehicles entering the premises and handwash facility has been made available for patients. Each patient/visitor is checked for fever, through thermal scanning and pulse oximeter.

The hospital developed an innovative barrier screen to examine patients, using locally available material.

TLM Naini Hospital developed cost-effective safety screen for frontline workers, face shields for health workers

and mopping trolly for sanitization of hospital premises.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLM Naini Hospital developed

sensor-based or hands-free sanitizer,

foot-operated sanitizer dispenser,

hyperchlorite foot path and full body

automatic sanitization machine to

prevent spread of COVID-19.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLMTI’s Building Resilient Communities project in Naini

distributed face masks among people affected by

leprosy.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLMTI’s College on Wheels project-trained

women stitched masks and distributed them

among the community members.

UTTAR PRADESH

Students trained by TLMTI’s Colleges on Wheels project, in Faizabad, stitched masks with their own materials and supplied them to their communities.

UTTAR PRADESH

TLM Faizabad Hospital adopted various measures in its outpatient department to ensure the safety of its patients and staff. Social distancing is being followed. Every room is sanitised regularly. Every visitor/patient undergoes thermal scanning to check for fever.

WEST BENGAL

TLM Bankura Vocational Training Centre produced face masks and supplied them to the poor and the needy and also to the government health authorities in Bankura.

Face shield by TLM Naini Hospital

.

Face shield by Inclusive Empowerment Project, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

.

Transparent screen stand by TLM hospital, Naini and TLM Vadathorasalur Hospital

Mopping trolly by TLM Naini Hospital

Sensory hand sanitizer by TLM Naini Hospital

Face shield by VTC Vizianagaram

Face mask with transparent cover for hearing impaired by Udaan project

Glimpses of TLMTI’s inhouse invention of protective measures

during the #VirusPeVijay

campaign

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