Ezrela Dalidia Fanai, NET Correspondent, Mizoram

Mizoram has been severely impacted by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the state health machinery is pushing itself to the limit, help comes from contributions of different segments of the Mizo community.

During the surge of the second wave of the pandemic in the mid of 2021, Mizoram witnessed many good Samaritans reaching out to vulnerable sections of the Mizo society. Some are doing it alone while others started a project to reach wider sections of the community.

Vanlalhmangaihzuali, founder of Project Flashlight 21 started her project on April 19, 2021, to respond to emergencies in times of crises within the Mizo community- to vulnerable sections of the community who, during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, have faced numerous hardships.

The project, started by a group of Social Work professionals are working with people living with HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable communities of Mizoram. After learning that hundreds of families are struggling to meet the needs of their families as a result of several weeks of lockdowns imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the group of professionals started a ‘Food Donation Drive’.

Under the food donation drive, 155 families have been supported to date and are going on in full swing. They donate dry rations, cooking oils and other essential commodities. The food donation drive also focuses on nutritious food for infants, and diapers for infants, sanitary napkins for women for Female Sex Workers.

Vanlalhmangaihzuali stated that Project Flashlight 21 will be an ongoing process and the project has received donations of over Rs. 60,000 in cash and she thanks all the people within and outside of Mizoram who has donated towards the cause of helping people in need.

Mizoram has also witnessed-since statewide imposition of lockdown in 2020-donation of fresh vegetable produces from villages to various localities of Aizawl-, who under the lockdown have been unable to get to their daily livelihood.

Through the Local Level Task Forces of every locality in Aizawl and the Village Level Task Forces of areas outside of the main city, it can be confidently said that every family’s basic needs have been provided during the nationwide lockdown.

Besides these gestures, Mizoram shows an example of how communities can come together towards fighting the pandemic. Almost all localities within Aizawl city have a 4C or Community Coved Care Centre, which is a community funded covid care centre.

These 4Cs are usually taken up by the Church where all asymptomatic patients are kept. If any person putting up at the 4C is having symptoms like fever or breathlessness or is suffering from hypertension, sugar and heart problems, that person is immediately sent to the State designated Covid-19 hospital- Zoram Medical College.

A 4C usually has a capacity of 40 with 6 doctors and 2 nurses checking the vitals of patients in the morning, noon and night. Following the SOPs, every room of 4C is equipped with an oxygen concentrator (from CMO) and other equipment to test the vitals.

The catered breakfast, lunch and dinner provided at the 4Cs are coming from individual donations of various localities.

When a person enters these 4Cs, his/her vitals are recorded and if on the 10th day, the person does not show any symptoms, he/she is given a discharged certificate by the Medical Officer designate of the 4C.

All the wastes of the Community Covid Care Centres are put together in a single place, where they are thoroughly sanitized and after 24 hours are taken by the sanitation department of Aizawl Municipal Corporation.

The state government is taking up every step to curb the communal spread of Covid-19 in Mizoram. The statewide complete and partial lockdown has been imposed since April 20, 2021.

All business houses and shops are allowed to operate with particular timings, with Church services only allowed in the mornings and evening with limited attendees.

Social gathering – birthdays and anniversary celebrations are not allowed. While maximum person to be attended in Weddings, funerals are fixed to 30 people.

Sports practice can now be arranged in Mizoram, but only 25 people will be allowed to attend.

Public parks, picnic spots and Gyms will remain closed.

Schools, colleges will remain shut.

Public parks, picnic spots, Gyms, Cinema halls, theatres, will remain closed.

Night-time movement restrictions remain as night curfew will be observed from 7:00 pm to 4.00 am across all district headquarters.

(The article has been published in the July edition of Northeast Today)