Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

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COVID-19 Outbreak: AMDA Peace Clinic Food Donation in Bodhgaya, India 3

Publication date:2020-08-06
 

A pregnant woman receiving the food items

On 23 June 2020, AMDA Peace Clinic in Bodhgaya, India carried out its third food donation assistance for pregnant women and their families who are registered at the facility.

While the novel coronavirus has not yet been contained in India, the relaxed lockdown with certain conditions has been extended until the end of July in the state of West Bengal which includes Culcutta, one of Indian mega cities.

As for Bodhgaya, Bihar in the eastern part of the country, economic activities have gradually been resumed and day laborers have started to go back to work. Yet, the region has been struck with a high unemployment rate; with no presence of tourists making the city look vacant. 

The donation this time targeted 48 pregnant women whose families have been faced with financial difficulties. Likewise, food stuffs were donated to an elderly home run by former APC staff Ms. Vedha who currently heads Vedha Mother Teresa Welfare Trust in the locality.

The food aid included 1 kg of dal, 1 kg of potatoes, 1.25 kg of bitter melons, 1 kg of spinach, and 100 g of chilies. For those who were not entitled to receive food assistance by the government, additional 5 kg of rice was donated to make up for the staple food they could not obtain.
 

The below is a comment from APC staff Ms. Babita Kumari:

“Husbands and other family members of the pregnant women used to work for local temples, NGOs or schools, or worked at construction sites as day laborers, or engaged in tourism. Everybody seemed to be happy without having any difficulty feeding themselves until the novel coronavirus struck.

People’s lives have changed drastically including those of the pregnant women. Nobody had imagined they would lose their sources of income, let alone losing their jobs, the absence of tourists or the lockdown to be put in place. They did have some stock of food to survive for a few days, but that simply didn’t last. As their breadwinners lost their work, it became gradually difficult for them to purchase food. They had to rely on rice and flour donated by the government, or food aid from local NGOs that was provided time to time or just for a limited period. One woman lamented the fact that it isn’t unusual for her to have just one meal a day, calling her everyday life before the infection 'like a dream'.

Since our clinic is specialized in supporting women in prenatal and postpartum periods, it wasn’t difficult for us to grasp what these women had been going through. I am very much confident that the food assistance we are providing at the moment has been of immense help to them. It is my utmost pleasure to be able to provide food to those who are persevering the difficult time. I earnestly hope that this allows the women to secure enough nutrition intake, and deliver healthy babies in the weeks to come.”
 
    •  India
    •  2020
    •  ER & Reconstruction
    •  AMDA Peace Clinic
    •  COVID-19

 
 
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