Why in News ?

NITI Aayog and Piramal Foundation launched ‘Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan’ to provide home-care support to asymptomatic covid-19 patients or patients with mild symptoms.

About:

• Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyan
• This campaign was launched in 112 Aspirational Districts to assist district administrations in providing home-care support to COVID-19 patients.
• It will provide covid home-care support to 20 lakh citizens.
• It is a part of special initiative in which civil societies, local leaders and volunteers will work with district administrations to address emerging problems across key focus areas of Aspirational Districts Programme.
• It will be led by district magistrates in partnership with over one thousand local NGOs. NGOs will enlist & train about one lakh volunteers to connect with patients through inbound and outbound calls.
• Campaign will also be supported by Piramal Foundation. It will work with district magistrates to support training of NGOs and volunteers.
• NGOs will mobilize local volunteers to provide home-care support to affected people and Volunteers will be trained to support 20 affected families by educating caretakers to follow COVID protocols, provide psychosocial support etc.

Significance of campaign

This is a significant initiative which will provide long-term support to India’s poorest communities in Aspirational Districts by addressing impact of COVID-19. It will play a key role in district preparedness to manage nearly 70 percent of COVID cases at home. Thus, it will reduce pressure on health system. It will also carry capacity building of citizens for correct usage of Oxygen concentrators supplied to these districts.