The YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s concept of village/ward volunteers has become a grand success.
The volunteers are now coming in handy for the government in the hour of Coronavirus crisis for distribution of government benefits to the doorsteps of the people, identification of Coronavirus patients, maintenance of quarantine centres, supply of medicines and keeping a surveillance on the Corona patients.
Now, the Jagan government has launched yet another unique concept – Covid Warriors – a strong contingent of volunteers, mostly students belonging to various medical, dental, Ayurvedic and Unani colleges to help the existing doctors and paramedical staff in combating Coronavirus.
The government has realised that it needs a strong team of people who would take care of quarantine centres and look after the people isolated there, while a large number of medical professionals are also required to supplement the efforts of existing doctors and nurses.
Panchayat Raj Secretary M Girija Shankar, who is also a special officer for Covid-19 in Andhra Pradesh, said the state would require large number of medical professionals – doctors and paramedical staff, if the number of Covid-19 cases go up in the coming days.
The concept of Covid Warriors, a large contingent of student volunteers from various medical colleges, was designed because of this need.
Students belonging to 271 medical colleges, dental colleges, Ayurvedic and Unani medical colleges in both government and private sectors are being asked to enrol as volunteers, besides other allied institutions related to medicine, as Covid Warriors.
Even private medical practitioners, specialists, people who had done nursing courses and other paramedical staff, can also register themselves as Covid Warriors.
Experienced volunteers could work in hospitals, the services of students could be utilised in quarantine centres.
In all 20,000 volunteers are expected to be enrolled within a week. As of now, 2,000 volunteers have joined the Covid Warrior team.
The volunteers are being given sufficient training as to how to handle Covid-19 patients and how to extend service needed to the patients. The volunteers are provided with necessary PPE kits.
The service extended by these student volunteers would be given due credits in future recruitments in hospitals and other government jobs,” Girija Shankar said.
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