COVID and its fallout
Battered by COVID once again. The 2nd wave hit hard. Our valley and the surrounding mandals were all affected. Every day brought news of positives n villages and hamlets. Patient death started being reported, many of them young, sole breadwinners, leaving behind families, children, aged parents.
Livelihoods were disrupted, money was in short supply. Yet in all this there was a remarkable resilience. People found ways and means to continue working, setting up roadside vegetable stalls, working on improving their fields. Young men who were working in cities came back to WFH! They brought with them a different mindset, which helped in looking after the farms.
One young man, used the internet to find natural alternatives to pesticides. His father initially reluctant, was slowly enthused. His conversion became complete, when he saw the results. Tomatoes grew well, there were no pests and the size and solidity of the fruit was quite good.
He got a good price for the first harvest. However, the prices crashed as stricter lockdowns were implemented. The farmer then just left his fields untended. It was not worth the effort to harvest the tomatoes. Monkeys descended from the hills and had a feast!!!!
Since schools were closed the children from the villages had a ball. They were working in the fields, tending to sheep and goats, helping out at home. Its going to be tough for them to go back to school after this unfettered freedom. Hope schools start soon
RHC Activities
The Covid pandemic hit the RHC activities too.
4 of our nurses got jobs as contract COVID warriors. Happy for them. The RHC struggled to find nurses, and it was only as the wave started abating were we able to find replacements.
Vaccinations: The PHC at Kurabalokota did and continues to do a yeoman's job in ensuring vaccine coverage to the rural hinterland. Dr Sridhar and his team need to be complimented.
