MLDT Maharashtra COVID-19 Relief
Dr. M.L. Dhawale Memorial Trust (MLDT), Thane, Maharashtra
Contact: Ms. Ujjwala Pendse
2021 Covid-19 Relief Grant: $2500
In 2021, the second wave of Covid hit rural India particularly hard. Palghar district in Maharashtra was no exception. The vaccination drive to combat COVID in the tribal villages of Palghar was hampered by wild rumours spread through social media that vaccine can cause blindness or impotence or even death.
MLDT used PPI funding to educate villagers in 25 villages about vaccine safety, to perform rapid antigen testing and to actually administer vaccines. The funding enabled rapid testing of 278 patients and vaccination of 683 tribal villagers in Parghar district.