Hanifbhai’s village shows how India can fight Covid

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Sarpanch Hanifbhai Lakha
Sarpanch Hanifbhai Lakha

 

Aasha Khosa/New Delhi

On Tuesday, Mariamben had died of Covid-19 in a hospital. She was one of the three Covid-inflicted persons in village Zadka that falls in the Maliya Hatina block in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.

Mariamben was laid to rest and in the evening Hanifbhai Lakha, sarpanch of Zadka, inaugurated the ten-bedded makeshift hospital in the local government school building in his village.

“No more deaths in our village, henceforth,” said Hanifbhai who had taken a pledge to not let anyone die in the village after COVID-19 had spread to rural areas of Gujarat.

The classroom that is now the Covid-19 isolation ward

“I called a meeting of all the villagers – the head of the families and also a few women who came and told them we cannot live helplessly and see people dying for want of oxygen, medicine or getting sick for not following the drill associated with the dreaded disease,” he told Awaz-the Voice over the phone.

The Muslim village located 165 km from Rajkot City, has one private nursing home and the closest public healthcare facility is 10 km away. Zadka is home to some 2,000 people, mostly in the business of transport and farming.

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Hanifbhai, 43, spent money on buying beds, bed linen and other essentials. Others also contributed the money and within a few days of the three cases of Covid being detected, the villagers had their makeshift Covid isolation ward ready.

“We have 15 oxygen cylinders and these are immediately refilled by sending a van to Rajkot every day.”

Hanifbhai has converted his SUV into an ambulance. “I have four vehicles and have dedicated one for the hospital,” the transported who also deals with finance and other businesses making him the most-well off among the community, said.

Villagers coming for the inauguration of the Covid-center

The villagers decided in the meeting presided over by Hanifbhai, who was elected as sarpanch for a second term- that till the threat of the pandemic is around, nobody will leave the village nor outsiders will be welcome there.

“Barobar, karna padega yeh saab,” (Right, we have no other option) says Hanifbhai. He says making everyone adhere to the protocols of maintaining social distance, wearing a facial mask and frequent hand washing was much easier than he had thought of.

“I just reminded all heads of families that should the disease kill any one of them, they should imagine what will happen to their loved ones – their children, lovely daughters and wives.”

He says he realized that one need not have to use strong-arm methods to make people follow the life-saving protocols. “Emotional things work best with most of us,” he said.

Also, he says, women are the best communicators and they have a greater say in such situations. A few women who had come to the meeting of villagers have spread the word quietly and today we only see all men and women wearing masks around the village.” Hanifbhai said.

Basirbhai Lakha, a volunteer inside the makeshift ward

The hospital has been equipped with medicines – including those for non-Covid cases. “The villagers should not suffer in case they have other health issues,” he says. Hanifbhai also gave credit to Basirbhai Lakha, associated with NGO Agha Khan Agency for Habitat for assisting him in his project.

Hanifbhai says, he has contacted doctors working in nearby villagers and they have agreed to be on duty for a specific period each day at the centre. “No doctor, who is a friend will even say no in these circumstances. I have managed services of doctors from my friends’ circle.”

He says, the dispensary is open to all the people and so are the oxygen cylinders. “The health facility is for all and not just the two villages,” he said.

Hanifbhai is a father of three children; his elder daughter is working as a nurse in a big hospital in Rajkot. “She is posted in the Covid ward and I am so proud of her,” he says.