India COVID Relief for Rural India - Special Initiative

May 24, 2021
Saving Wild Tigers is partnering with Center for Wildlife Studies - India (CWS) in their initiative to support the people living in remote rural areas bordering the wilderness areas of India, where there is a dire need.

IMMEDIATE SUPPORT TO PRIMARY HEALTH CENTERS TO MANAGE COVID19

The second wave of COVID 19 has left India in deep distress. It is apparent that rural and remote communities are going to be affected severely. Based on CWS’ strong ground presence in rural Karnataka and Goa, they are able to observe the devastating impacts of COVID19 in rural India. The Wild Surakshe program has built a strong network of several hundred people to act on the ground. There is a huge shortage of essential supplies and medicines in these remote primary health care centers. CWS local field staff are equipped to provide support to enable the overworked primary health workers to curtail the rapid spread of Covid-19 and similar zoonotic diseases in these areas.

'Wild Surakshe' and 'Adopt a Primary Healthcare Center' programs by CWS engage with frontline government health and forest department staff, grassroots community organizations, and leaders to understand and cope with COVID-19, other zoonotic diseases, the human-wildlife conflict and seek to bring villagers in and around wildlife reserves awareness about health and safety. Funding helps Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in rural areas close to wildlife reserves, by providing them essential supplies like face shields, masks, PPE kits, gloves, oximeters, thermal scanners, sanitizers, etc. CWS’ strong ground presence in rural Karnataka and Goa, enables them to observe the devastating impacts of COVID-19 in rural India first hand. They are focusing their field efforts on PHCs with a goal to bolster 100 primary health care centers and procuring COVID19 essentials like face shields, PPE kits, oximeters, thermal scanners, gloves, masks, and medicines in supporting the staff in curtailing the effect of COVID19 in these primary healthcare centers before they get out of control. So far, the CWS team has identified and contacted 152 key PHCs they can directly reach and support. They will also be closely monitoring the state of these PHCs to offer any additional immediate assistance they need. 

Why a Primary Health Center?