Following the phenomenal success of the Covid Sahayata Kendras or the CSKs in various states of the country, the state of Assam gets its first Covid Sahayata Kendra inaugurated on 28th August 2021, Saturday at the State Capital Dispensary in the Kamrup Metro Area of Assam. The Covid Sahayata Kendra is a multi-purpose Covid Help Centre which has been established with the aim to promote awareness amid the pandemic as well as assist the government in eradicating the threat of Covid-19 from the state and making Assam Covid resilient. The pioneer behind the establishment is the Child In Need Institute (CINI), a national level NGO that has been working for the last 47 years in the health sector with the aim to provide optimum level care and support to the mothers and children of the country and ensure their all-round development and enhancement of their quality of life.
The official inauguration took place on Saturday with Dr. Lakshmanan, IAS, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Government of Assam as the chief guest who conducted the inauguration ceremony. Other guests who were present during the ceremony included Dr. Binita Goswami, joint director (District Health Society), Dr. Ajay Lashkar (Incharge of Capital State Dispensary, Mr. Meghendra Banerjee, COP, CINI; Mr. Sujoy Roy, Sr. Manager, CINI; along with unit in charge CINI Assam Unit and eminent health officers from the Kamrup District Health Department.
CINI has reached out to people in different remote areas of the country since the advent of the pandemic and has been active ever since in order to help people fight against this pandemic and emerge healthy and victorious. With the same aim in focus, CINI established its first Covid Sahayata Kendra (CSK) in Assam with the objective to help the people of Assam to fight the pandemic and become Covid resilient. Recent data have unravelled the fact that though the cases of Covid 19 have decreased universally, it is not the same in the case of some parts of Assam. Of the new cases, Kamrup Metropolitan reported the highest at 115 patients, 14 in Golaghat, 33 Jorhat and 32 Moregaon, which showing a steady rate of cases amid the pandemic. The government of Assam has devised a plan to make the whole of Assam Covid resilient by September, with the aim to provide vaccinations to every citizen of Assam, and CINI has come forth to complement the government in the fulfilment of the objective with its limited resources.
The main objective of CINI is to reach out to each and every household of Assam and carry out door to door inspection with district health team in order to figure the number of residents who have not yet been vaccinated and guide them to the CSK where they shall be assisted and helped in attainment of vaccination. There shall be a toll-free helpline number through which people will be able to contact the CSK from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to get necessary information on Covid appropriate behaviour, mitigation measures and emergency guidelines at times of need. The main priority in this operation shall be women, mothers and pregnant ladies who shall be assisted through the vaccination process to make them self-resilient against the virus. CINI shall also be functioning to assist the street dwellers who are generally deprived of vaccine facilities due to absence of proper paperwork and documents. CINI shall be instrumental in helping those street dwellers get proper assistance and vaccinated from Capital State Dispensary.
With an increasing number of post-COVID complication cases and resultant deaths, the Assam Government has decided to set up the first post-COVID care hospital in the city. CINI also aligned its activity in same line through their CSK facility will be addressing the post covid mental health conditions. CINI will be addressing those people with the aim to help develop their mental health as well. Trained expert counsellors of CINI shall be holding sessions at the CSK from time to time in order to diagnose the post-covid mental health conditions of people who are suffering from anxiety, depression, psychological issues, and other mental health concerns. People can reach out the counsellors via the toll-free number 1800-121-5323 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the counsellors shall also attend patients at their homes for one to one counselling if the cases are deemed to be that serious.
CINI also plans to initiate Covid awareness camps and sessions at various parts of the state from slums to lanes and from streets to localities in order to raise Covid awareness among people and make them realise the importance of the measures taken by the Government. CINI shall also be addressing the issue of lack of mask usage among pedestrians and absence of covid appropriate behaviour. A mobile CSK van prepared by CINI shall be running on the streets of Kamrup providing masks and sanitizers to the people along with announcements of Covid awareness. The initiative shall be led by the daughter of the soil of Assam, Mrs. Dhanmani Bora, the first female E-rickshaw driver of Assam. CINI also plans to open two more CSKs at Pandu and Golaghat later this month with the facility of mobile CSK vans as well.
Dr. Lakshmanan, IAS, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Government of Assam said within next 25 to 30 days Kamrup district will be the first 100% Vaccinated district”
Mr. Sujoy Roy said, “We are overwhelmed by the Covid preparedness and prompt response of Kamrup health district officials. The cooperation and assistance on the part of the officials of the State Capital Dispensary and the District Health Department is really praiseworthy. We are extremely optimistic that with the assistance of such efficient hands, we shall be extremely successful in carrying out a lot more work in a very short span of time and succeed in boosting Assam’s position among one of the best states of India with respect to Covid 19 awareness and mitigation.”
He also stated that as off today the confirmed covid case is 6,434. So far, 5,66,101 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the disease Health Department of Assam is working night and day in order to collect Covid samples with an average of 90,547 per day. and 1,64,69,004 people have been vaccinated, out of which 1,35,44475 first dose and 29,24,529 second dose have been provided. (Please Tally with Govt sources for updated results)
The Child In Need Institute (CINI) is India’s leading Non-Government organisation established in 1974, and has been working now for 47 years in the field of health, Nutrition, Protection and Education across east and north-east India. With over 1200 committed human resources, CINI has been functioning in the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, and Odisha and has assisted 18 million people till date. The main motive of CINI is to create a child-friendly and responsive community that shall help adolescents and children reach their full potential. CINI has now been working for the last five decades to help the women and children of the various rural areas and remote areas in the fields of health, hygiene, education, nutrition, security, protection, and participation as well as in their all-round development in the quality of life. CINI shall make sure that each and every people of Assam shall get the required support in becoming self-resilient in this universal fight against the Covid 19 pandemic.
