Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh

In a bid to check the spread of the COVID19 infection in villages, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched a five-day long campaign aimed at extensive screening of people in rural areas. 

The campaign, launched today, involves a door-to-door survey to screen people for symptoms like fever, cold and cough. It also includes counselling of rural inhabitants by health officials and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers to raise awareness about the precautionary measures and safety practices to control the spread of infections.

The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Adityanath on Sunday, May 1. 

Also Read: Rural Uttar Pradesh in a fever of trouble

“We have to protect villages from Covid infection at any cost. There is a need for special vigilance towards the villages. In such a situation, a massive campaign of Covid testing should be conducted in all the 97,409 revenue villages of the state,” Adityanath was quoted as saying in the meeting.

In the meeting, CM Adityanath stated that the outbreak of coronavirus in the rural areas is a matter of grave concern and that the villages must be protected at any cost.

Also Read: With no tests and no treatment, people in rural India are dying of COVID-like symptoms

Amit Mohan Prasad, Additional Health Secretary to the state government, had informed last month that half of the total COVID19 cases in Uttar Pradesh are being reported from the rural areas. 

Gaon Connection has been reporting on how village after village is complaining of COVID-like symptoms of fever, cold and cough. But because of lack of testing in rural areas, the real extent of spread of the coronavirus is not known.

Also Read: Fear of testing positive is making villagers in Madhya Pradesh avoid visit to COVID test centres

On the first day of the campaign in Uttar Pradesh’s villages, the ASHA workers and ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwife) who visited the households to look out for the COVID19 symptoms, however, received a mixed response from the village populations.

“Some of the people truthfully talk about their health condition but many hide their situation for the fear of being quarantined and taken over by the authorities. There is a lot of distrust amongst the people when it comes to believing in the government,” 45-year-old Guddi Baby, an ANM from Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki told Gaon Connection.

Also Read: A tweet opens a Pandora’s box of how rural India is coping with the COVID19 second wave

“Also, a section of the village population doesn’t believe the Corona to be an actual thing. They consider it to be a conspiracy. They don’t trust vaccinations as well. It is very difficult to convince these people that the government wants them to be safe and healthy,” she added.

An ASHA worker from Barabanki also told Gaon Connection  that each day, their team of two to three workers are tasked with reaching out to 40-49 households.

Also Read: ASHAs brave the second wave of COVID19. Without masks, sanitisers and rightful remuneration

“But the response of people is not really genuine. They hide the truth about their infection and we have to half-heartedly mark their house as safe despite knowing deep within that all’s not well,” 32-year-old Vandana Varma said.

Also Read: As COVID19 wreaks havoc on rural India, local medical stores are the only aid for villagers

The state breached the 350-mark for daily COVID19 deaths as 352 patients succumbed to the viral disease on May 4, but one-day recoveries outstripped new cases by over 12,500, according to the data provided by the Health Ministry. The state reported 25,858 new cases and new 38,683 recoveries.