Here is an update of activities conducted by the Sanjiwani team between January and March 2020.
During the month of January as part of the Women’s Health Program, a PAP smear health camp was organized by the Annapurna Rural Municipality, the Sanjiwani team working with the Annapurna Health Post conducted 46 PAP Smear tests for women in the community.
In February, Sanjiwani staff visited Jana Premi Basic school and our staff provided feminine hygiene lessons to the female students and distributed feminine hygiene kits to participants. They also conducted dental hygiene lessons and distributed toothpaste and toothbrushes to students.
In early March, the Sanjiwani health team organised several Covid-19 awareness training camps in different sections of the village. All groups were provided with information on the need to maintain proper hygiene with hand washing, the need for social distancing and were given information about early symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. Later in the month the Mothers group and Sanjiwani Public Health Mission provided a handwashing station with liquid soap at the bus station, with a display board to others entering the village know the requirements of handwashing prior to entering the village.
By the end of the month the Sanjiwani team, Annapurna Public Health post, and other local organisations had distributed approximately 5000 masks around the village. Hand washing soap was also distributed to some of the poor families who cannot afford to buy soap.
One of the difficulties for our organisation has been a lack of personal protection equipment for our staff. At present, there is only one set available for staff members to use and this must be shared in the event of a potentially infected person attending the clinic.
There is less concern at the moment in that by the end of March all foreigners and tourists would have left the village and the village will remain in lockdown till at least the end of April.
