Since the first phase of COVID-19 pandemic, CYSD has been supporting the district administration in South Odisha to deal with the situation. In order to address the second wave of the pandemic, GO and NGO level Coordination Committees at each block and district levels have become vibrant to deal with emerging issues, the role of CYSD being instrumental.

CYSD’s programme team in south Odisha has been making all-out efforts towards sensitizing the rural-tribal villagers about Covid appropriate behaviour, such as maintaining social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing, Now the organization is deeply engaged in extensive awareness drive to persuade the tribal people to get vaccinated as an effective preventive measure where the roles of youth leaders, CRPs, grassroots volunteers are crucial.  Through organizing orientation programmes at the block level for frontline workers – Anganwadi Workers, ASHAs and ANMs, the team is persistently equipping them to contain the outbreak.

While serving the community, the life of those involved in doing door to door survey to identify infected cases and referring them to the hospitals, without proper protective kits, the frontline workers’ is at risk. Taking into consideration the fact, in first phase, CYSD has distributed Safety kits, Oximeter, Digital Thermometer, Mask and Sanitizer to 233 frontline workers covering 6 GPs in three blocks of Koraput, Rayagada, Malkanagiri districts.

Moreover, in order to equip the local health systems / centres, Asha Kiran Hospital at Lamataput of Koraput district has been supported by CYSD with 5 Oxygen Concentrators which will be instrumental in supplying required quantity of oxygen to critical Covid patients of the region.

At this critical hour of life and death, CYSD has made efforts to reach out to the people of the state through Gram Sathinis, SGBV Warriors, CRPs and youth leaders using WhatsApp groups with information on Covid appropriate behaviour and various government declared entitlement packages available.