Medical Assistance and Healthcare Services Facilitated by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) During COVID-19 in India

In India women, self-help groups have risen to the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19(Coronavirus) pandemic. The COVID-19 and its crisis imposed lockdown and emerged with unique challenges for women’s groups. In the health care sector, during the ongoing war against the COVID-19 pandemic, women played a more significant role in working as frontline staff and being exposed to the deadly disease in many ways. The SHGs being run and governed by women have a lot of contribution towards the more significant production of medical assistance, i.e., masks, sanitizers, PPEkit, and all other protective gear and measures to meet the required and ongoing demands of the health sector. During lockdowns, the women’s group faced a significant challenge as almost all women’s groups met physically. However, they contributed most during such difficult times. During this time there were significant disruptions in the supply chain and distribution of medical products, which has immensely affected and have caused hindrance in women’s menstrual and reproductive health in India. More than 70% women are the world’s frontline health care and social workers, which accounts for a staggering 88.8% of trained nurses. Rural women in Odisha have contributed and helped produce more than 1 million cotton masks for police personnel and healthcare workers.