Sisterhood of care

Sanjana Sanghi

Last year, actor Sanjana Sanghi was brought on board as a Youth Champion by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India. Earlier this week, ahead of Women's Day, the UNDP India ambassador visited an all-women healthcare centre in Nangloi in Delhi, where the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) oversee the health of pregnant women, new mothers and their babies. With the use of Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN), the ANMs keep a track of the vaccines that are to be administered to their patients in and around Delhi. "I usually work in the field of education; this is my foray into healthcare. On this field visit, I met these women who are diploma holders as medical practitioners. They have been upskilled to use CoWin and eVIN. At this centre, from the head doctor to janitor, everyone is a woman. They focus on women's health and provide prenatal care to the underprivileged. The vaccines and consultation are free," she states.

Sanghi was thrilled by how the app has increased the vaccination's reach. "These women have made people at the last mile aware that vaccination is mandatory. Earlier, they would walk miles to vaccinate people, but the app has made their lives easier."

A feature that jumps out after every field visit is the lack of infrastructure, says the actor. Aiming to continuously put the spotlight on education and health, she shares, "These are women and children with potential, and with proper infrastructure, they can soar. But on the positive side, I've seen how these women keep track of each other's health status. I am impressed by how much menstrual health awareness has increased. Cancer-related check-ups have increased because sisters are checking in on each other."