Ejaz Kaiser By

Express News Service

RAIPUR: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a campaign by Mitanin (rural health workers) in the rural areas across Ambikapur district in north Chhattisgarh, where women were educated on washing hands has gained global praise.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, much impressed with the steps taken on ‘SafeHands’ by the village community promoting hygiene practice in rural Ambikapur, had tweeted about it.

Groups of Mitanin interact with women from the morning where they narrating on how proper handwashing with soap followed by drying assume much significance to effectively counter the danger by eliminating all traces of coronavirus on hands. They explained to the masses about various “Dos and Don’ts” as protection from infection and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“People in rural areas of Ambikapur are fast realising that proper handwashing is the most effective way the people can protect themselves not just against coronavirus but even other infectious diseases. Mitanin through health interventions are enlightening the masses on right ways of washing hands as basic hygiene practice”, said Ambikapur collector Dr Saransh Mittar, who himself is a medical doctor.

These Mitanins initially acquired the knowledge on six different stages of hand washing before they reached out to every tribal hamlet and rural habitation.

“In urban areas there are enough scope for knowing the ways on protection and prevention against coronavirus but not so in rural areas. We explained everything to Mitanin how they need to elucidate proper hand washing to masses. According to the WHO it is the most effective weapon against the spread of coronavirus infection”, said Dr PS Sisodia (CMHO) and Dr Amin Firdousi (urban health programme).

“We didn’t know how the right ways of handwashing with soap can be so effective and vital against coronavirus”, said Rajni Bai and others who were enlightened by Mitanin’s campaign at rural community level.