![SAFEGUARDING HEROES – HOW CAN WE GIVE BACK TO OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS OF COVID-19](https://cms.sajida.org/images/K1o-d-HqiTk_gPBc4bxrg7BIOp8=/435/width-695/SAFEGUARDING_HEROES__HOW_CAN_WE_GIVE_BACK_TO_OUR_FRONTLINE_WORKERS_OF_COVI.jpg)
Organisational
Since the outbreak in March, Bangladeshi frontline staff have risked their own lives by working meticulously around the clock, helping people stay home and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease. While frontline healthcare workers around the world have become victims to the virus, mortality rates in Bangladeshi were amongst the highest. Families have fallen and continue to despair from the loss of these heroes, often leaving them in irreversible financial despondency. To bring a glimmer of hope to these grieving homes, Give2Asia, MetLife Foundation and SAJIDA Foundation partnered up to provide financial assistance to the families of deceased frontline healthcare workers (FLHW). SAJIDA Foundation deployed a multi-pronged approach to identify and reach out to family members of these deceased heroes. Eligible participants were identified with the support of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), COVID-19 designated hospitals, private hospitals, and healthcare professional networks. The financial turbulence faced by these families was devastating. Some of these households had only one earning member who had lost their battle with COVID19. At the same time, many families declined the payout in favour of reallocation to other vulnerable households, which were most in need. Mrs. Shamima Akter, 36, lost her husband in June ’20 to COVID-19. Dr. Shakhawat Hossain, Shamima’s husband, had been a devoted frontline worker to patients under the grip of this virus. This tragic demise brought great sufferings to his family. His three children had lost their anchor before the age of 16. One of the children is diagnosed with autism – an expensive condition to manage. When Shamima received the payout, she was ecstatic. She shared how the amount would help her attend to pressing expenses of the children’s education and treatment, which had been an added stress during these already tough times. At the end of the project, SAJIDA Foundation and MetLife Foundation disbursed a payout of BDT 6.6 million to 33 families of FLHW who had passed away. These payouts helped over 75 individuals, mostly belonging to low-income families. Majority of the payouts went to families of nurses, medical assistants, lab technicians and community health workers. We may think that the risk of spreading COVID-19 will minimize with the arrival of the vaccine. But it will take some time for the vaccine to be allocated and distributed to everyone. Meanwhile, as individuals and organizations, we need to step up to protect our greatest asset: our frontline healthcare workers. Strategizing around creating an incentive mechanism for them to carry on their duties without fear is of utmost priority. Strictly maintained safety & hygiene protocols, insurance schemes, abundant supply of PPEs, mental health counselling, phone call follow-ups and solution design for issues learned can help us mitigate the issue somewhat. We thank our partners, MetLife Foundation and Give2Asia, for enabling SAJIDA to uphold its promise to bring good health, happiness, and dignity for all.
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