“Our community people show their strong resistance for taking the Covid vaccine because of fear of psychosis. The reason being, if anyone is found Covid positive, the health personnel will take him/her away from our community during night; put the patient in an unknown hospital and not allow relatives to stay with the patient; and finally without giving any medicines the doctor will declare the patient is dead (as we see in TV). Thus, my community does not have faith on doctors,” shared Nageswar Haraka, a Community Volunteer from Rekhapadar Village of Kolnara Block, Rayagada without any hesitation.

Nageswar says that due to lack of proper housing tribal people stay thickly in one room. They don’t know the practice of isolation. If the health administration will come to our community and conduct home visits and test each people, then the spread of Covid can be checked. A concerted effort is needed at this critical hour and people from all sections of the society should join hands to fight Covid pandemic together. Realising the gravity of the situation and after CYSD’s intervention the tribal people are slowly coming forward to take vaccines.