The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health, food systems and the world of work. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating with India is the most affected nation next only to the Unites States of America. The state of Tamil Nadu is the fourth worst affected in India and the metropolitan city of Chennai recorded more than 5.4 Lakh cases.
Being a metropolitan city and hosting a huge migrant population with no agricultural or related activities to fall back, the lockdown phase becomes challenging for the vulnerable sections and community participation becomes a necessity to commensurate Government efforts to fight the pandemic situation.
Vedic science research centre, started covid relief activity from 24th March 2020 immediately after the lockdown announcement of Government of India. The activities are divided into two parts namely awareness and activity.
The awareness part includes production of video materials that includes interview of the director of Health services, Government of Tamil Nadu, Interview of Scientific advisor to the Prime Minister, Speeches of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on Covid issues translated to Tamil and a lecture series on Covid prevention and care by Dr. Bharath Narendra, Professor, Shri Jayendra Saraswathi Ayurvedic Medical College. Apart from speeches and interviews, we produced programmes to create awareness on usage of soap, Arogya Sethu App and general awareness slideshows on Covid. These programmes are widely promoted through our Youtube channel Shree Tv and other social video platforms and the link can be seen below.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1Y5fS2oaE0HFslM_A_bsxJNZ3GrN5n19
The activity part includes distribution of food packets for stranded people and street dwellers. We distributed 6000 food packets every day from 26th March 2020 to 14th April 2020. After the first phase of lockdown, we distributed around 9500 food packets from 15th April 2020 to 31st May 2020. During the first spell of Covid lockdown from 26th March 2020 to 31st May 2020, we distributed grocery items to 186 underprivileged families along with hand sanitizer.
The Government announced gradual easing of restrictions from August 2020 and allowed limited business to function. In order to ward off the fear associated with the pandemic and prepare the working class to engage in income generation activity, we counselled 1,000 people from August to November 2020 and distributed 10,000 face mask and sanitizers for the underprivileged.
The second wave of covid was more devastating as the rate of death and the spread of infection was much faster than the first wave and hospitals were unable to cope up with the flow of patients. Vedic Science Research Centre organized hospital beds and house visits by medical professionals including free medicines for the needy. We arranged free oxygen service to covid affected people through Oxygen concentrators. In order to prevent further spread of covid, we distributed Kabasura Kudineer (ayurvedic medicine) for free for 30 days in the months of May and June 2021. Apart from these activities, we donated 200 free grocery sets for the underprivileged in May 2021.
Vedic Science Research Centre is conducting 6 free tuition centres in slums of Chennai. The pandemic situation has created a sense of uncertainty regarding exams and schools in the academic year 2021-22 started online classes from June 2021. We arranged used computers and mobiles for deserving students and conducting tuition classes online .
