Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Rajasthan, has felicitated Prayatn for its support to the District Administration of Dhaulpur in controlling the spread of COVID pandemic. In a ceremony that was organized on December 21, 2022 in joint auspices of World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, ARAVALI and Prabhat Sansthan in Dhaulpur, a shield of appreciation was handed over to Prayatn representative Mrs. Rajani Jain by the Health Department represented by Dr. Jayanti Lal Meena, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Dr. Shivkumar Sharma, District Reproductive and Child Health Officer (RCHO) and Dr. Gabbar Singh, Block Chief Medical and Health Officer (BCMHO).
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest Mr. Ajay Singh Malinga, Pradhaan – Badi Block cautioned that the pandemic is not yet over and there is need to keep ourselves for another wave. Dr. Jayanthi Lal Meena, on the other hand, underlined importance of role of civil society organizations requested them to keep supporting in similar manner in future as well. Dr. Gabbar Singh Meena, in his speech, stressed upon completing immunization to control the next wave.
It is important note that as soon as the outbreak of COVID pandemic was noticed in India, Prayatn team got involved in generating community awareness on preventive aspects like use of mask, regular handwashing, social distancing. When lockdown was imposed, it distributed food and hygiene kit to people in need after getting special permission from the authorities. During this period when migrant workers returned to their villages, the community-based institutions developed by Prayatn ensured that they follow government guidelines and remain quarantined for stipulated time. They also helped linkage of these workers and other rural poor in linkage with government schemes like MGNREGA.
During second wave when public health services were extremely stretched and requirements became more technical, the organization helped frontline workers with N95 masks, hand sanitizers, PPE kit as well as equipment like thermo-scanners, pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators. Supplies like sanitary pads were also ensured in this process.
For children, in addition to continuing Childline, an emergency service of the Ministry of Women and Child Development for children in need of care and protection, the organization supported Education department in ensuring education of children when schools were closed by motivating its Tutors to teach them at community level while following COVID protocol. Livelihood support was also extended to people who lost the same during the pandemic through Self Help Groups.
