Thiruvananthapuram: The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic all across the country left many dialysis patients in the lurch. To assist them, NSS unit students from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, who are part of the Student Initiative in Palliative Care (SIP) units, have launched Prathyasha 2.0, an initiative that provides financial assistance to dialysis patients in need, in collaboration with the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU). The second phase of the initiative was launched by Mayor Arya Rajendran.
The students intend to assist at least 82 patients using Prathyasha 2.0. Surabhi S, a SIP coordinator and a student said, ‘This year, the drive is being organized at the state level. Colleges under KTU are requested to contribute and help identify the beneficiaries.’ The other SIP coordinator is Althaf Rasheed.
The SIP unit, which was launched last year as part of the college’s 80th-anniversary festivities, gathered Rs 1,200 from each class and helped 84 dialysis patients in 2020. Babu Abraham, senior advocacy manager, and Abubaker Siddique, community organizer of charity organization Pallium India, first proposed the idea in 2019.
‘We identified beneficiaries from across the state with the help of student volunteers, panchayats members and health workers. We handed over the financial aid directly or through Anganwadi workers,’ added Surabhi.
Google Forms will be used to collect patient information. So far, donations to Prathyasha 2.0 have come from the University College of Engineering in Thodupuzha and the MES College of Engineering in Kuttipuram.
CET students are also organizing a hair donation drive for cancer patients. They have made over 20 contributions so far.
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