NCC Cadets join Covid War Room in Mysuru

“I received a call from the son of a patient, Ganga, 51. She was under home isolation. She was discharged, earlier during the day from a hospital, as she did not get the bed required. I noted down the details of the patient, including oxygen saturation level. I passed on the slip for further process. After half an hour, I received a call. I was happy to take down the details, it was again the son of the same patient, Ganga. He informed that he got a call about bed allotment and received a message for ventilator bed,” said Senior Under Officer Nisarga Jnanneshwar.

“I got a call from the daughter of a patient, Surabhi, 42. She was seeking help for oxygen bed allotment, since her mother had breathing problem and her condition was getting worse. I noted down the details and passed on the slip for further process. After an hour, the bed was allotted and they called me back to thank,” said Senior Under Officer M A Roshini Marian

Nisarga and Roshini are a part of 60 Cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), who joined the Covid War Room in Mysuru on Monday, May 10, to assist the staff there and the people in need. They have extended their support to the district administration, following a request by Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri, in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, by attending to calls on the helpline, and providing necessary assistance.

Col Manish Prasad, Commanding Officer, said, "NCC Cadets of Mysuru Group have volunteered during this stressful time under ‘Exercise Yogdaan’, held under the directions of the Director General of NCC."

“Around 60 Senior Division Cadets are employed in various shifts, in the war room, set up by the district administration at the new building of the DC’s office in Siddartha Nagar on Bannur Road. All Cadets and the officers have registered on the Digital Infrastructure Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). They are manning the telephone lines in the war room, attending to distress calls by people in need,” he said.

Col Prasad said, “Social service is in the curriculum of the NCC. The Cadets provide assistance during natural and other calamities, and also during the spread of infectious and contagious diseases. The Covid pandemic is a ‘never seen before’ or ‘never heard before’ situation. The service motive of the Cadets and the support of their parents, in this crisis, is commendable.”

“The district administration has taken all steps to provide a safe and protective environment for the Cadets. They are provided sanitizers, gloves, face masks and shields. Each cadet works on a shift of around three hours. They also get a break, to relax,” he said.

Roshini is a student of second year Diploma in Electronics and Communication in D Bhanumaiah Polytechnic College. “We attend over 100 calls during a shift and do our mite to help those in distress. Nine of us from our battalion are serving the war room,” she said.

She thanked her parents Marian Anand and Anthony Mary Vilma for supporting her to serve the society, during the crisis.

Nisarga, a student of second year BCA at JSS College for Women, is the daughter of B S Jnaneshwar and Rekha. “Besides, the safety gear provided by our battalion, the war room also gives us necessary safety items. We are also provided transportation from a common point near our house. We get satisfaction helping the needy,” she said.