With COVID’s second wave, India’s situation took a devastating turn for the worse. From having sufficiently low numbers in February, cases now continue to spike across the entire country. As of June 7, India’s total virus cases have exceeded 28 million, with over 2,400 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost.
During this difficult time, women have been disproportionately affected. Along with an increased workload, there has also been a rise in gender-based domestic violence cases. With the second wave hitting so close to home, their mental and physical health have been largely impacted. For our beneficiaries – the women from low-income, slum communities, this means lower access to healthcare facilities than before.
In such a situation, they are unable to receive preventive healthcare, including sexual and reproductive services. In the long run, this could lead to pregnancies, miscarriages, unsafe abortions, which would further stimulate their existing stress. In the past year, we have seen how isolation can be an especially tumultuous time for pregnant women and new mothers.
In this current state of a medical emergency, these women need all kinds of support, ranging from direct and immediate consultation with doctors, access to medications, health essentials such as sanitary supplies, among so much more. Early intervention to preventive healthcare is the need of the hour.
Myna Mahila’s Mobile Health Clinic
At a time when people are avoiding going to hospitals and stepping out for essentials (due to a fear of contracting the disease and forced isolation), they may need supplies they don’t have access to. At Myna Mahila, we have developed a Mobile Health Clinic to combat this issue. Through this intervention, we are monitoring the health conditions among vulnerable populations, especially women and children in urban slums, to provide preventive healthcare facilities.
As of today, in less than a month of launching the clinic, we have directly supported 1,400 people across different slum communities in Mumbai, such as Govandi, Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar, and more. Our efforts are quickly expanding, as we are now active in over eight communities.
What Happens At The Clinic
At the Mobile Clinic, after all, visitors and patients are registered as beneficiaries of Myna Mahila Foundation, they form a socially distanced queue and get their pulse rate, oxygen levels, and temperature checked.
The non-COVID cases receive preventive healthcare facilities via direct doctor consultations. Patients who may have COVID are redirected to the local municipal corporation, the BMC, in order to receive timely treatment and help. For everyone’s protection, we follow COVID protocols at all our locations, including daily sanitization, social distancing, and the use of protective gear such as masks, gloves, and PPEs.
As a continued response to their challenges, patients are also encouraged to visit again for follow-up consultations and help. With the help of our mobile app, they can also stay engaged and keep up with new health information while at home.
The Mobile Health Clinic is one of the many ways we provide emergency relief and build resilience for the long term for the women we serve. Our team continues to serve our beneficiaries, and with your support, we can expand our reach. We strive to create an even better world for women across India, especially during this critical time. Our focus continues to be overall health, with improved solutions for menstruation facilities and services.
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