PEARL Multidisciplinary Journal

PEARL Multidisciplinary Journal

Role and Experiences of Asha’s in Containing SuperSpread: A Study of Poonthura Village During Covid-19

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, active frontline workers’ contribution and efforts amidst high risk helped Kerala, the state detected first covid-19 patient in India, take adequate measures and gain acclaim as a model against the pandemic all over the world (Andrews, 2020). The duties of the health workers multiplied in the regions of high-test positivity rate as well as population density. ASHA workers, has come to the rescue of state government to carry out community level activities such as tracking positive cases, identifying symptomatic cases, monitoring people with travel history and a host of pandemic management protocol based standard operating procedures to be administered. Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram district is one of the tightlyclustered localities home to low-income families. Located in the coastal region of Kerala’s capital city witnessed a ‘super-spread’ of 200 cases in the month of July 2020 due to the reported resilience in complying with social distancing norms. This paper explores the major activities done by the ASHA workers during the pandemic, the challenges faced and the coping strategies against the covid-19 crisis. The cases were identified based on findings of the pilot study conducted in different coastal villages of Thiruvananthapuram district. It was found that community engagement through field work; telephone calls to the affected; house visits and prompt reporting to the authorities were the crucial duties performed by ASHA workers. Amidst several physical, psychosocial and social challenges, with the help of the authority, they could handle the situation in a proper manner. Such preventive and action-based strategies are encapsulated in the current research.

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Keywords

COVID-19, ASHA Workers, Experience, Challenges, Coping Strategies.

Author Affiliations

Dency Mary Reji 1*, Jesintha Joseph¹ , Francina P X² , Angelo P Mathew³

1. Loyola College of Social Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram.

2. Department of Social Work, Loyola College of Social Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram.

3. Department of Personnel Management, Loyola College of Social Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram

Dates

August 2021

Volume 7

No 2