Transgenders on forefront of battle against COVID in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: COVID-19 may be a major crisis for mankind but there is no dearth of people who have come forward to fight it.

The transgenders too are manning the frontlines. Princess (31) of Umar Colony in Rourkela made her intentions clear when she met the additional district magistrate of Steel City last year and expressed her willingness to work with the administration.

“I came across people’s sufferings and wanted to work with the administration to mitigate them,” Princess, the first transgender frontline worker of Rourkela said. 

A diploma holder in Computer Applications, she joined the Covid care centre at Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) campus in Rourkela as a data operator on contractual basis.

The responsibilities included entering data of patients getting admitted to the centre, informing authorities about critical patients and handling formalities relating to discharge of recovered patients. 

 She also coordinated with nurses an

d doctors to ensure patients were treated at the earliest. “I knew the risk of coming into direct contact with the attendants and nurses but I kept discharging my duties as it was the need of the hour,” she said. 

Princess also helped housekeeping staff, attendants and security guards of the centre get admitted to hospital if they got infected. She worked at the centre from May, 2020 to January this year. 

As the second wave of the virus, deadlier than the first hit the State, Princess joined the Covid vaccination centre at Panposh in Rourkela in March and helped people register on the CoWIN portal.

“I made at least 200 entries daily after the vaccination drive was started earlier this year. I registered for people who could not do it themselves as they were illiterate,” she said. 

The hardwork did not go unnoticed. Rourkela ADM, Aboli Sunil Naravane said, “Princess is our first transgender frontline worker. When we were short of manpower last year, the transgender association came forward and offered to help.” 

Along with Princess, social activist Meera Parida and several other transgenders joined Covid facilities to contribute their bit to the society.