Since the day Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State branch (IRCS OSB) has been working round the clock to deliver different humanitarian services.
The volunteers and counsellors from the Red Cross and Social Emergency Response Volunteer (SERV), the Youth Red Cross, Junior Red Cross and Juniors, Cyclone Shelter, life members and others who are trained in crisis management have been individually and collectively creating awareness on hand washing, respiratory hygiene and social distancing in towns, villages and slums across the State. They are also distributing masks to the needy.
Working on mission “No one should remain hungry”, the IRCS, OSB has been distributing cooked food and ration to support the migrants, the downtrodden, homeless, distressed, economically vulnerable, the underprivileged, and other marginalised sections of population all over the State.
The IRCS, OSB has also been feeding animals in the midst of the lockdown.
The Livelihood Unit of Red Cross is supporting farmers and has created a bridge between the farmers and consumers by purchasing the vegetables from them. They then distribute these to the needy and the vulnerable people. It also created awareness amongst people to purchase the vegetables before they wilt away or are destroyed in an attempt to extend a supporting hand to farmers.
As blood donation camps were difficult to organise, many volunteers of Odisha Red Cross donated blood to the thalassemia patients, pregnant ladies, cancer patients and other critical patients by donating blood at different blood banks all over the State. During the second and third phase lockdown, the IRCS, OSB organised many voluntary blood camps maintaining social distancing.
The volunteers are working with high risk population at the swab collecting centres and also at quarantine centres. The volunteers are supporting the doctors and nurses in collecting swabs and also in managing the quarantine centres at schools and colleges.
The IRCS, OSB provides psychological support to senior citizens and children who are psychologically most vulnerable for corona. Many trained volunteers who have taken training on first aid are providing psychological first aid to them to help them keep fit mentally and physically. Many juniorshave also taken to creating awareness through paintings.