Jain food, q-centres help community beat Covid stigma in Nagpur

NAGPUR: At a time people testing Covid positive are being shunned by society, six Jain organizations have come forward to ensure their community members do not face any such trauma. The group has set up an isolation centre, and also supplies Jain food at the required timings, even for family members of quarantined Jain patients, all free of cost.
Initially, most Jain community members were afraid of revealing they were positive, due to their socioeconomic status and various religious abstinence. They preferred to confine themselves in homes, fearing lack of facilities at Covid Care Centers, and became silent victims. The percentage of deaths in Jain community was three times higher due to this reluctance.
“When we analysed the first eight deaths in the community, we found they were due to delayed testing, reluctance to go to government hospitals, concerns about religious vows, scarcity of beds in private hospitals, and moreover self-made psychological barriers,” says Sachin Kothari, vice-president, Bharatiya Jain Sangathan (BJS).
“To overcome the situation, we planned a six-pronged strategy by launching a call centre giving free doctor consultation from August 5 and informing about testing facilities. This was followed by offering free food facility, with root-free vegetables, at Covid Care Centre, Pachpaoli, and at a Covid hospital at Pardi, where we are facilitating admission of patients,” said Kothari.
“From August 15, of the six towers having 28 flats each, Jain patients are using one tower with 128 beds. There are patients from other communities too. Still, two towers with fully furnished facilities are lying vacant,” adds Kothari.
Nirmal Shah, one of the coordinators, said, “Food is prepared in our own kitchen for patients. Not only this, if a housewife, on whom an entire family is dependent, turns positive, then we are also taking care of such families by supplying tiffins to any corner of the city. Amarswarup Foundation and like-minded people are pitching in, without seeking money from any members.”
Manoj Band, national working president, Pulak Manch Parivar, said, “We have procured at least 60 mini oxygen cylinders for home quarantine patients who may have low oxygen saturation levels.”
“From August 15, over 300 community members have benefited from our facility, including 100 at Pachpaoli centre. Over 150 patients were helped get admitted at Dedicated Covid Hospitals. Besides, we are also registering donors with Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) plasma bank,” says Subhash Kotecha and Rajneesh Jain.
One of the recovered patients, Sonam Jain (30), said, “The atmosphere at Pachpaoli centre is so good that I will never regret I was Covid positive. Apart from treatment by a dedicated team, we tried to grow strong from within by singing bhajans, offering prayers, doing yoga, and meditation. We also played games like housie by maintaining Covid distancing.”
“When I tested positive I was crying constantly, thinking whether I will be safe there, being a girl, but all my fears vanished when I went there. The Jain social workers were so good and provided a homely atmosphere. We were offered milk with turmeric, breakfast, lunch, and dinner all on time. For many patients, food was also supplied before sunset. I returned home beating corona, but I still miss the place,” Sonam adds.
“With awareness and counselling we have been successful in removing fear from the mind of our community members in the last one month. This has itself brought the death rate down by 50%,” claimed Kothari.