The story of 43 children and 14 staff members at Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan, Palluruthy, who recovered from COVID-19 is one of positive energy.
“There is nothing like being together in a crisis, said Father P.D. Thomas, rector of Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan, after he tested negative for the virus along with his wards and colleagues on Friday.
Adv. Bitty K. Joseph, Chairman, District Child Welfare Committee, said most residents of around 100 homes for children had gone back to the security of their homes. Of the total 2,452 children who used to live in shelter homes, more than 2,000 had returned to their own preferred shelters, while public homes run by government agencies had just 1,079 children.
She described the Don Bosco experience as a success. “It is the result of collective efforts. The Health Department opened a treatment centre at Sneha Bhavan. It helped those in the affected regions face the challenge in a natural and positive way,” she said.
The case is similar to that at Karunalayam in Thrikkakara Municipality, where 52 persons, mostly being looked after in their old age by a Catholic Church charity, recovered from the infection in the third week of August.
Tony James, a health worker associated with Sneha Bhavan and who recovered from the illness, termed it a unique experience. He said he was a caretaker for the children, and that he had no symptoms but tested positive in early August. “I thought it was the ice cream that gave me throat pain,” he said referring to the Independence Day celebrations. “It later turned out that I was infected,” he added.
Thrikkakara councillor C.A. Nishad said the Karunalayam experience was unique, but it had taught lessons aplenty.