Odisha

COVID Care: These Old Age Homes In Odisha Go Extra Mile For Elderly Inmates

By
Sefali Suman

Bhubaneswar: Taking note of the vulnerability of the elderly to COVID-19, the Odisha government has issued an advisory for this section during the second wave of the pandemic.

The advisory issued by the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons With Disabilities (SSEPD) has asked collectors to focus on the wellbeing of inmates of old age homes run by NGOs in their respective districts.

On their part, the NGOs too have implemented their own measures and restrictions to keep the elderly inmates safe.

“We don’t allow outsiders to enter the old-age home now. Even our staff, who take care of the elderly people, don’t go out,” said Hochiminh Sastri, founder-owner of Asha Kiran old-age home in Jatni.

“The staff always wear masks and ask the elderly people about their needs. They always try to talk with hem by maintaining a distance of six feet. We are trying to take utmost care of our inmates,” Sastri added.

“Besides, we sanitize the premises twice a day. During the first phase of the pandemic last year, no one here had tested COVID positive.

“Some days ago, I was suffering from cold and fever. So I stopped visiting the old-age home and stayed in quarantine in another place for some days,” he said.

The Asha Kiran old-age home now has 60 members.

“We have some staff who go to the market to bring rations and vegetables. However, they are not allowed to enter the rooms of the elderly people here,” he said.

“Some people were coming to the old-age home to celebrate their birthdays. We were getting such calls before this lockdown. But now I don’t allow such activities here,” said Hochiminh.

“We also ensure proper social distancing and maintain two feet of distance between the beds of the inamtes,” he added.

Besides, this NGO distributes food to needy people in Jatni area. “We have also stocked some oxygen cylinders for needy people. However, we have not yet received any call for oxygen cylinder,” said Hochiminh.

“We are also making arrangements to get the inmates vaccinated. We had written a letter to the CDMO in this regard and a medical officer visited the old-age home on Wednesday. They will be vaccinated soon,” he said.

Notably, Hochiminh has been running the NGO Asha Kiran for the past 26 years, which is situated near Jatni police station.

Another old-age home at Balia in Balasore, ‘Kapila Muni Budhhashram’, is also taking utmost care of its inmates.

“This NGO was inaugurated on April 15, 2021. As we are new, we have only 10 members, who don’t have any family member to take care of them,” said the old-age home founder, founder Balaram Sethi.

“We maintain proper social distancing among ourselves in the old-age home. Nobody is allowed into the home,” he said.

“Besides, we are very strict about the use of masks. Only our staff are allowed to go into the rooms of the elderly inmates and take care of them. A pharmacist visits the home to provide the necessary medicines to the inmates,” he added.

“As we have few inmates, I personally took them to the vaccine centre in a phase-wise manner. All of them are now vaccinated,” said Balaram.

Balaram was working in the District Education Office. After his retirement in 2019, he started working in an NGO at Chandbali.

Later, he thought of opening an old age home of his own. This is how Kapila Muni Budhhashram came into being.

Sefali Suman

Recent Posts

New Artist To Play King Kansa Role During Dhanu Yatra In Odisha’s Bargarh

Bargarh: A new artist will be selected to play the mythological character King Kansa during…

November 22, 2024

Shah Rukh’s Daughter Suhana Khan Brutally Trolled For Vivo Ad [Watch]

Mumbai: Suhana Khan will be making her Bollywood debut with ‘King’ along with her superstar…

November 22, 2024

Badshah Comes Out In Support Of Diljit Dosanjh In Alcohol Controversy

New Delhi: After Diljit Dosanjh called out the double standards of Telangana government for banning…

November 22, 2024

World War 3 Has Begun, Says Ukraine’s Former Military Chief

New Delhi: Recent actions and counter-actions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have pushed the world to the…

November 22, 2024

3 Arrested With Fake IPS Officers’ Uniforms, Identity Cards In Odisha’s Balangir

Balangir: Three persons were arrested and fake IPS officers’ uniforms along with fake identity cards…

November 22, 2024

‘I Want To Talk’: Twitterati Lauds Abhishek Bachchan, Say He Is Better Than Amitabh

Mumbai: Abhishek Bachchan’s highly-anticipated film ‘I Want To Talk’ released in theatres on Friday, and the…

November 22, 2024

Cash-For-Vote Row: BJP Leader’s Defamation Notice Against Rahul Gandhi, Kharge

New Delhi: Accused of giving cash to secure votes ahead of election day in Maharashtra,…

November 22, 2024

CM Mohan Majhi Attends ‘Odisha State Day’ Celebrations At IITF In Delhi

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the ‘Odisha State Day Celebrations’ at the 43rd…

November 22, 2024