Village pools in funds for Covid care centre

RAJAHMUNDRY: Gollala Mamidada village of Pedapudi mandal last year had the dubious distinction of recording the first Covid-19 death in East Godavari. A year later, the determined villagers turned things around by setting up a Covid care centre – the first of its kind in the state – in the village with their own funds.
The villagers had not only seen the devastating effect of Covid-19 in the first wave but also saw how people were dying due to lack of oxygen facilities in the second wave. Around 500 people in the village were affected by coronavirus in the first wave and despite taking all precautions nearly 200 people were infected in the second wave this year. The caseload decreased this time around but there were 35 casualties as most of them died due to lack of oxygen.
This made the villagers to ponder on how to save the lives of the people of not only their village but also surrounding villages. The villagers then took a decision to pool in money and set up a Covid care centre in the village to meet the needs of the people. The villagers planned to convert the rural hospital which was set up in 1966 into a Covid care centre by arranging 30 oxygen beds. The rural hospital had only 18 beds and the villagers built a temporary shed and arranged another 12 beds.
They came forward and donated money for the cause and even started a WhatsApp group ‘Mana Oorollu- Mana Gramam’ which means ‘our villagers and our village’ so as to facilitate discussion on setting up the centre. Some of those who donated a handsome amount were Nallamilli Satti Reddy’s family which donated an ambulance worth Rs 8 lakh, Mallidi Srinivasa Reddy, Sabbella Ramalakshmanulu and Chinta Dorababu donated Rs 5 lakh each.
The dream became a reality on Thursday when the centre was inaugurated by district collector Muralidhar Reddy and Anaparthi MLA Satti Suryanarayana Reddy. “We wish that villagers across the state take these people as a role model and do their bit to save the lives of people. I am very proud to say that this centre has come up in my constituency and the collector has extended his full support to it,” Suryanarayana Reddy said.
Muralidhar Reddy praised the villagers for their stupendous effort and said others should emulate them.

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