Access To Essential Services Including Care Givers During Covid19 Lockdown In India

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Announcement: India to be completely lock down for 21 days starting from 25 March 2020, I was stunned. This means no one is allowed to come out of home like it happens in curfew situation. We are two with muscular dystrophy (high support need) and parent is super senior citizen, and we can only manage with human assistance. Today we sent our attendant to get a “curfew pass” (issued only by local police) so that he can come to our house to assist us.

He was denied the pass on account of caretaking of “disabled”. Even I had to speak to the police person to convince that in our disability condition with all three of us affected in the family, there is no other way but to get our trained assistant at least in the day time. The officer denied the pass and said “you can call your relatives to help you and we we cannot do anything”. I got the curfew pass after 5 hrs of wait and lot of helped taken from higher government authorities.

This is extremely imp for all of us to understand that masses - people with disabilities and elderly in our country neither have voice or such connections to get the desired services on time and till the duration of the curfew and in emergency situations.
  • It’s pertinent to mention that while “social distancing” is only way to fight against #COVID19, however there has to be a mechanism in place “issue of special passes” to ensure that people with #disabilities and elderly who are dependent and there is no one to take care of them whether in homes or institutions -should have access to their trusted / already hired / trained personal care attendants.
For activities of daily living care givers are required.



We need to sensitize and immediately inform police and government about this need as #essentialservices and issue special e-passes for caregivers and attendants.

The #COVID19 crisis needs a response that is neither reactive, discriminatory nor apathetic.


Author: Anjlee Agarwal
Email: anjleeonly@gmail.com
Tweet: access_anjlee
Website: anjleeagarwal.co.in
Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India

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