RAIPUR: People face challenges in life. How they handle them shows what they are made of!
Santosh Ghose is one such example.
Despite being diagnosed with leukaemia, this Rural Medical Organiser has left no stone unturned in his battle against Covid-19 in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district.
His life has been a story of battling hardships. He lost his parents when he was teenager and grew up taking care of his siblings as a guardian. But what exactly he is made of became clearer during the second wave of the pandemic.
Posted in remote tribal areas, he undertook difficult assignments of creating awareness among the rural masses and worked hard to remove vaccine hesitancy.
Mainly due to his efforts, the area has completed 100 per cent vaccination with two doses. Surprisingly, many in the health department did not know he is the patient of blood cancer, for which he has to visit Mumbai for treatment.
“I have inherited the values of my parents. I was shattered after losing them, but had to draw courage as I had to look after my younger brother and sister. I understand the pain of losing dear ones. So I decided to dedicate myself to ensure no poor or members of tribal communities are left out when the vaccination drive began,” says Ghose, a father of two kids.
He would trek 3-4 kms through hilly and forested terrain daily to reach the villages. Some of these tribal villages has hardly had any visitor ever.
“Convincing them to get vaccinated was not easy,” he says.
His dedication made him a popular figure among the tribal communities who began trusting him. Leading by example, he convinced the locals that when a cancer patient like him can get vaccinated, why should they be afraid of it, says Sambit Mishra, sub-divisional magistrate of Dharamjaigarh, a tribal block in Raigarh.
During the vaccination drive, Ghose formed a core team composed of the local sarpanch, Angadwadi workers, community health workers, teachers and village elders.
He listened to their apprehensions and got them motivated. Gradually, the drive gained momentum and more and more villagers started coming forward. After months of efforts, Ghose and team realised their objective.