By: Adeel Alvi
SUKKUR- Sindh Rural Support Organization is Combating with COVID-19 pandemic. It is working through community institutions and stakehoders by undertaking awareness raising and preventing measures at different levels. For this purpose, 106 public handwashing stations have been constructed in markets, government schools, and hospitals of the Larkana and Shikarpur districts. It is a big achievement of the SRSO, which has been achieved, with the support of district administration, health, and education departments.” These words said by Mr. Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro Chief Exhume Officer SRSO in his statement. He further said, “SRSO has started the COVID-19 Project under the ECHO’s Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) support with the collaboration with collaboration of RSPN in Shikarpur and Larkana districts. The key objective of this project is to support and respond Government of Sindh in addressing, responding, and mitigating sufferings of people of Sindh. According to his statement, “SRSO is implementing this project with the engagement and collaboration of community institutors (CIs), district administration, and health department. We should be playing our due role against pandemic at our own level. The role of Community Institutions (CIs) against pandemic is very important and they are also playing an effective role for awareness raising and preventing measures among the masses at the gross-root level.
The SRSO Focal Person for ECHO-HIP-COVID-19 Project Mr. Muhammad Akram Shaikh briefed further details about project and specifically this achievement He said, “SRSO has constructed 106 public handwashing stations (53 Larkana and 53 Shikarpur districts) from which 40 at market, 60 government schools, and 6 hospitals. SRSO has received full support from the respective district administration, health, and education departments in identification of suitable locations, construction, and safety as well. SRSO is managing water and sops at handwashing stations with the support of market committees and school administration. These stations are providing handwashing facilities and behavior changes among the public against COVID-19 pandemic in both districts.
SRSO has initiated different interventions under this project in 83 Union Councils (Shikarpur 37 and Larkana 46) through engaging formed Community Institutions (COs, VOs and LSOs). 830 representatives of 83 Local Support Organization (LSOs) and 830 community resource persons (415 men and 415 men) have been trained on COVID-19 preventing measures and SOPs. CRPs have replicated training learning and COVID-19 preventing measures through community sessions and public announcement at the community level and identify suspected cases, awareness raising for vaccination and referrals to nearby health facilities. 3,616-suspected cases of the Corona have been tested through Mobile Testing Camps in collaboration with Rapid Response Teams of Health Department in Larkana and Shikarpur Districts Under this project, Personal Protection Equipment’s (PPEs) supplies have been provided to the health department of both districts for paramedics and hospitals.
