With the district administration urging the elderly to remain indoors to avoid chances of contracting the COVID-19 infection, a call centre has been set up to see that their needs are met without having to venture out.
The call centre, working out of the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Kalamassery, has reached out to around 8,000 of the 4.5 lakh senior citizens in the district since it began functioning a week ago. The centre is operated by instructors at the ITI, who work in two shifts of 10 people each.
With some elderly residents reporting a fear of visiting hospitals and getting regular check-ups, the focus is on ensuring that they do not miss their medication, said an instructor who asked not to be named. For instance, they reached out to 84-year-old Thressiamma in Angamaly, who is on medication for heart ailment, to check if she had access to regular supply of medicines. They facilitate access to medicines or other supplies through ASHA workers, anganwadi staff members, Kudumbashree members, or through the local Vayomithram unit of the Kerala Social Security Mission, which provides healthcare support to senior citizens within the corporation and municipality limits.
In March, when the pandemic was just beginning to rear its head, a list of all people over 60 years of age in the district was prepared with the help of anganwadi workers. This forethought has helped in reaching out to them now when the reverse quarantine of elderly people, particularly those with other diseases, has become important. “For the elderly living alone, the calls have been a source of support at a time when social and religious gatherings are not safe,” said Vijayashree M.M., a technical assistant who has been helping at the call centre.
Formed on the District Collector’s orders, the District Social Justice Officer is the nodal officer of the committee that monitors the call centre.
It functions from from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and can be contacted at 0484-2753800.
Precautions at homes
After over 50 residents of a home for the elderly in Thrikkakara tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at the end of July, vigil was heightened across care homes in the district. “Over the past month, around 5,000 antigen tests were conducted at 227 such institutions in the district,” said John Joshy, District Social Justice Officer. The tests had all returned negative results.
Visitors have not been allowed at such institutions since March, said Ambika Kumari, superintendent at the Government Old Age Home, Thevara. While new admissions to the institution are not permitted either, they continue to receive calls requesting admission from relatives of elderly people, she said.
