With several organisations and voluntary groups that have been helping people around to combat the COVID-19, through ‘best practice’ three gram panchayats of Karnataka have taken the entire nation’s attention. One among them is the Balepuni Gram Panchayat, Dakshina Kannada being a matter of pride for all of us. The other two Gram Panchayats are Munirabad village, Koppala, Hodduru village, Kodagu, and Balepuni of Dakshina Kannada; who have exercised their tremendous work with excellence.
The workers of the Gram Panchayat carried out effective operations in the time of crisis. Being a region belonging to the Bantwal Taluk, the panchayat started being effective long before the second wave struck, i.e in March 2020. The active members to carry out these activities were the members of the Panchayat, ANN, Healthcare workers, Asha Workers, Anganwadi workers along with the help of other NGOs and social services with Ayush and Father Muller Institution taking an active part in the cause.
Towards awareness and precautionary measures
The Panchayat not only took out several operations, but also focused on providing information and educating the works emphasising on necessary aspects. The team has successfully established 4 research camps so far, giving more prominence to the vaccination drive, being beneficial for the villagers. “We have three levels of task force, out of which Kairangala and Balepuni as a gram panchayat has task force each. So all the workers put their equal efforts to carry out the process”, says GuruvappaBalepuni.
The members started out by setting up a table on 19th March, 2021 infront of their office, preparing for the registration of the vaccines. The first one was through the Kurnadu Primary Health Centre, giving the first dosage of vaccine to an older tribal man, namely, BabuKoraga. In all 234 persons registered accordingly.
Moreover, Anganwadi and Asha Workers were given training workshops about the vaccination process whereas newly selected members of the Gram Panchayat were trained about the prevention measures of the COVID-19 disease and other similar epidemic diseases.
The gram panchayat and the volunteers worked as a team for the cause, giving more prominence to the sensitive zones. Outsiders who entered the village were listed and asked to quarantine themselves.
Role of Youth and Community as one
As the workers carried out effective measures, several volunteers sought help from known donors, clubs and organisations, and gave packages of food and medicine to the patients. “A lot of people have not received medical supplies, as cases are on the increase, the supplies go short. In this way, volunteers have got donors who have provided food packages. It is the combined effort of all the workers for our village to reach this level today. “ GuruvappaBalepuni has been successfully in the media industry for 35 years, who live reported the related news and events.
Sunil Gatty, JanardanKulal, and Yakub are some of the resource persons who used their own vehicles either to drive people for vaccination or to get them tested for the COVID – 19 disease. The entire operations were carried out much before the orders from the ZillaPanchayat were given, and the gram panchayat made sure that necessary vehicle services were given to prepare for the future. He further says, “If people take precautionary measures and have civic sense to prevent the spread, the current situation will surely get better.”
Overall, they successfully conducted three vaccination camps out of which 240 people have already received vaccination. Also, volunteers came forward to clean public places such as the bus stands to maintain hygiene and follow sanitation. At the end, an initiative as such is something for us to look upon to bring about a change to the deadly disease!
