BSY lauds Anganwadi workers, says their role vital in next Covid wave

BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday appreciated Anganwadi workers for their role in combating Covid-19 at the grassroots level.During the video conference with Anganwadi workers from different parts of the state, the CM said their role in protecting children is very important as experts have opined that the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic will affect children the most. “Children with malnutrition and those suffering from ill-health must be identified and their health must be prioritised. Anganwadi workers must be in constant touch with the health department and strive to combat the pandemic,” the chief minister suggested.

He said that around 85.91 per cent of Anganwadi workers and assistants have been inoculated. During the first wave, at least 20 workers and assistants lost their lives, and Rs 30 lakh was given to each family as compensation.Girija YD, an Anganwadi worker from Bhuvaneshwarinagara Anganwadi Centre in Bengaluru, who lost her husband to Covid, was among those who interacted with the CM during the video conference. Girija tested Covid-positive along with her family members and lost her husband to Covid. After recovery, she is back to work, helping people. “All four of us were admitted to hospital. Three of us, including my mother-in-law, returned home after treatment. My husband died,” Girija told the CM, who consoled Girija and advised her to take care of her health.

The workers explained that along with their department’s work, they work with the panchayat task force, visit houses to create awareness, identify infected persons and provide vaccination for the differently-abled. They said they are creating awareness among mothers regarding the importance of nutritious food to children.Savithramma from Kolar district said that though there have been more deaths during the second wave of the pandemic, people have no fear and don’t follow rules.

To this,Yediyurappa suggested that people should be convinced to follow the rules. Leelavathi from Davanagere explained the work they do to contain Covid, and Sumalatha of Udupi explained the difficulty in distributing foodgrains to houses of the large number of beneficiaries. Impressed by her work, the chief minister invited Manjula Sangamesh from Belagavi to his home for a cup of coffee when she visits Bengaluru. Since the centres are closed due to Covid-19, the ration is delivered to houses of beneficiaries once every 15 days. Anganwadi workers are also part of the Covid-19 management teams at the local level.