Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

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Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

The state of Assam in Northeast India is aware of giving health care services to the people of Assam. It has also taken measures to prepare for and deal with health emergencies.

The state has employed many health workers, known locally as COVID-19 warriors. They are leading efforts, enabling early detection, isolation and treatment, and preventing the virus from spreading further.

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

Ms Suchitra Gola is a Community Health Worker (CHW) in the Karimganj district of Assam. He is the one who is locally known as ‘COVID-19 warrior’. Since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, she has been supporting her local community in the COVID-19 emergency response. In India, CHWs are called Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), and they work as a link between communities and health care facilities.

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

He says in an interview:

“Being a community health worker and a COVID-19 warrior, I am extremely proud that I am contributing my best possible labour to support my fellow villagers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives me great pleasure to share that I was able to ensure the home quarantine of 45 people who had returned to their villages from other states after the relaxation of the lockdown. I participated in the Assam Community Surveillance Program when I made door-to-door visits to my area as a part of active community surveillance.”

The Health Care centres are critical to the national response to COVID-19. The WHO, through the UHC partnership, was already working closely with the health authorities of the state of Assam to strengthen the PHC centres across the state in case of COVID-19 hit. The PHC network has provided a solid foundation not only to make progress towards universal health coverage (UHC), but also to address the challenges faced by COVID-19 communities.

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

Community Surveillance Brings ‘Reassurance’

Assam has a population of 31.2 million people who live in 33 administrative districts. For a month, starting May 7, 2020, the government implemented the Surveillance Scheme in all its 28,000 villages. This approach was called “COVID-19 Plus”. Community health workers or accredited social health workers went door-to-door to list possible cases and connect them with team members for screening.

The response to this first phase was encouraging. With the support of WHO, the state decided to carry out the second phase. Intensive testing was carried out at potential hotspots such as market areas, interstate truck and bus terminals and parking spots.

Screening teams also randomly test people who are at high risk of getting COVID-19 such as health workers, police, transport workers and hotel workers. This intensive testing approach was instrumental in identifying multiple COVID-19-positive patients, providing timely treatment and isolating patients. This also helped prevent the virus from spreading further.

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

Flexible Support for the COVID-19 Response

WHO’s support to Assam, through the UHC partnership, began in April 2019. This work is focused on supporting the implementation of India’s ambitious Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) flagship program, which will be launched through functional health and wellness centres. With the emergence of COVID-19 in March 2020, state officials requested additional technical assistance for the COVID-19 response. With a flexible and bottom-up approach that underpins the work of the UHC Partnership, WHO was able to meet the needs of the state.

The UHC Partnership works in 115 countries to help governments progress towards UHC through funding from the European Union (EU), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Irish aid, the Government of Japan, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the United Kingdom.

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

The WHO Participants

The WHO participates in several government committees that oversee health policy and implementation matters in Assam. Some of the direct interventions include developing standard operating procedures and preparing technical briefs for both state and national government along with guidance on various initiatives. WHO has also shared useful information on global and India-specific COVID-19 updates and appropriate tools and guidelines. Support was also provided for training of ‘COVID-19 warriors at the community level to enhance surveillance and case management.

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

As Assam attempts to tackle the overwhelming challenge of COVID-19, its leaders recognize the importance of a strong PHC approach to respond to the needs of communities. PHCs are a tangible way to engage the community and make health services more accessible, in ordinary times, and especially in times of crisis. This is an important step towards achieving UHC and ensuring health for all. 0 0 0

Health Care Services in Assam During Coronavirus Crisis

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