Corona warrior 04

Meet Rajan Bhaduri

Asha social worker

Every morning, this is how Rajan Bhaduri gets ready for work. All she has to protect herself in thin  scarf and a hand washed mask as she visits homes in her neighborhood to check the symptoms of corona virus. Madhuri is an accredited social health activist in India also known as an asha worker. In addition to their mean world as Community Health educators are social workers have now been deployed as the very first line of defense in India's fight against covid-19. To reach her assigned area where she conducts surveys with other workers. Rajan has to visit  areas called red zones. Where numerous positive cases of the virus has been detected despite this. She has been provided with only one mask that she washes and reuses. Most asha  social workers also cannot afford protective equipment on their own. 

First time when I was made to visit a Red Zone, I'd niether gloves nor mask. we received just 33 rupees a day the government treats us worse than bonded Labours. Said by rajan bhiduri

workers have also at times been forced to visit risky areas without gloves masks and sanitizer. Some of them have refused to work as a consequence . 

The Indian government promise insurance cover for each Health worker on the front lines of covid-19. But that is only if they died in the line of duty. The asha workers are not insured if we fall ill with coronavirus the government, however tells us that they are ensuring a regular Supply or protective equipment to all the Frontline health workers, but workers like Rajan are not the only ones struggling to reach people without sufficient protective gear. 

 India still on the rise community health workers like Rajan have a tough task ahead to be infecting. So we do want to work on but not by putting our lives at stake. Rajan passed by the strike zone every day to conduct her duties. She and many health workers like her are braving a life and death threat .