Stuck at home and lacking social contact, isolation can always become a weird world of anxiety and stress. It is a tough time for everyone but the practice of self- quarantine, as it looks like now, is not going away any time soon.
So to help people get through these distressing times, the Kottayam district administration is now reaching out to each and everyone locked in at homes. The initiative, titled ‘Karam Thodatha Karuthal’, aims to help these people ward off boredom by getting creative on the social media.
According to officials, WhatsApp groups that together connect around 9,000 persons in self-isolation, have been launched across the 71 panchayats and six municipalities in Kottayam. The activities in these groups will be monitored and coordinated through another group at the district level.
Besides the health inspectors, who are the group admins, they will also consist a medical officer, a teacher, and a social worker each. The remaining members will be added and excluded based on the beginning and conclusion of their quarantine period, officials said.
Physical distancing
To begin with, videos creating awareness on the things to remember about physical contact between those in quarantine and their family members will be streamed through these groups, besides messages from celebrities, District Collector, and expert doctors etc.
“The group members can get creative and share their talents and experiences to beat the isolation blues. The teacher in the group will be holding various fun and leisure activities and competitions for the group members and for this, videoconferencing options too will be explored,” said M. Anjana, District Collector.
According to the official, the social worker in the group will deal with the anxiety and mental pressure of the group members. The doctor and the health inspector will ensure the physical well-being of the members.
An initiative focussing on physical distancing outside homes would also be launched, Ms. Anjana said. A communication guideline for the group members had been formulated at the district level. Health Minister K.K. Shylaja will officially inaugurate the project through videoconferencing here on Wednesday. Civil Supplies Minister P. Thilothaman will publish the logo of the project.
