PUDUCHERRY: One of the most common words everyone has been hearing for the past six months has been ‘testing’. Plenty has been reported on the way testing is done, and the rate at which people test positive, the recovery rate, and so on.
In fact, there have also been several initiatives taken by the authorities and communities to attract the crowd to testing centres. Here’s another novel initiative by a public representative to encourage people to come forward and get themselves tested – provide free rice bags. The man in focus is AIADMK MLA from Uppalam constituency in the UT, A Anbazhagan.
With rising cases and the fatality rate, the Puducherry administration has enhanced testing as per ICMR recommendations. Health camps are being conducted in areas with more number of cases. Despite all this, the response has been poor as people are reluctant to come forward and get their noses swabbed. “Finding a low response at the recent camp held at Indira Gandhi Stadium, I decided to give people an incentive for them getting the tests,” said the MLA.
MLA finds novel way to combat people’s resistance to virus tests
MLA Anbazhagan procured rice with his own funds and packed them into five kilo bags, and voila! the strategy worked. Nearly 200 people turned up for the tests and each of them walked home with a rice bag.
My wife, daughter and I came to the camp after my daughter developed a fever post her NEET exam on Sunday. She has tested positive," said Pragasam, an electrician from Nethaji Nagar.
He added that they would not have taken the effort of going to the hospital there and waiting in the queue to get tested. "Since the camp was conducted here, we came. The free rice came as a surprise for us."
Gandhi from Vanarapet, came to give samples along with his wife and son voluntarily, as the camp was in his neighbourhood. He was elated when he got the free rice bag.
This incentive would continue in the next camp to be held in his constituency, said Anbazhagan adding, "Importantly, of the 200 samples collected, 18 tested positive for the virus." The date and place of the next camp is yet to be notified, and is most likely to be at Vanarapet. A final decision will be based on the concentration of Covid cases there, and a discussion with the MLA.