Joint collaboration with UNICEF for COVID-19 Response in Rohingya Refugee Camps

 

Area Coverage-               

  • Location- Ukhiya Upazila of Cox’s Bazar District
  • Camps- 3, 4, 8W, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 18
  • Health Facilities- 2 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and 6 Health Posts (HPs)

 

Agreement of Collaboration-    

  • Health Section, Cox’s Bazar Field Office, UNICEF Bangladesh
  • Nutrition Section, Cox’s Bazar Field Office, UNICEF Bangladesh

 

Types of Response-       

  • COVID 19 Response for continuing Essential MNCAH & Nutrition Services in the Camps and Heath facilities under COVID 19 prevention guidelines
  • COVID 19 Response in the Camps and Health Facilities during critical emergency/outbreaks

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At the very beginning while laboratory confirmation of COVID 19 Case was detected in Bangladesh, PHD initiated a process to develop its Business Continuity Plan (BCP) as a basic living document to maintaining the delivery of services, or quickly resuming them from any kind of business disruption. Accordingly, PHD team in collaboration with UNICEF planned the immediate COVID 19 response for Rohingya population in 8 Camps in Cox’s Bazar to remain project team vibrant in helping community in order to capacitate to remain safe from the spread from COVID-19 and release panic situation for both staff members and its cliental groups.

Later on, PHD expanded COVID 19 Response Plan under the project framework to support Government of Bangladesh in mitigation on the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on Rohingya Refugees lives, particularly for protecting the women and children as well as for referring suspected cases. Most importantly, if any single case of confirmed COVID 19 detected in any camps, then what action steps will be taken is not yet developed and planned.

Key Responses

Steps taken as immediate response for continuation of services

1. Triage & Social Distances at Health Facilities
  • Maintained triage in a sitting place with 5-7 chairs separated by coarse cloths
  • Measured temperature on arrival of every patient
  • Reorganized seating arrangement of patients with at least 3 feet distance

2. Hand washing and disinfestation measures at Health Facilities
  • Placed Hand Washing Stations at the entrance of Health Facilities
  • Followed appropriate measures for cleaning Instruments
  • Washed the floor with appropriate cleaning products minimum 5 times in a day
  • Followed Waste Management and IP policy strictly

3. Ensuring safety and protection for Service Providers
  • Developed Duty Roster for Service Providers to limit their footprint at camps
  • Provided vehicles to service providers for entering and departing from camps
  • Trained service providers to use protective equipment during patients’ care
  • Supplied Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other protective gears to be used as per approved guidelines and protocols

4. Capacity building for clinical and community health team
  • Infection prevention and control
  • RIT for COVID 19 Outbreak Investigation and Response
  • Promotion and preventive health care on acute respiratory illness
  • Mortality Surveillance and Risk Massaging
  • COVID 19 Contact Tracing and go. Data Mobile Apps

5. Raising awareness at Community
  • IPC and BCC materials for COVID 19 collected, localized, printed, and distributed
  • Oriented Community Health Workers and their supervisors on appropriate use of IPC and BCC materials in raising awareness on COVID 19 at community and hh level
  • Raised awareness among children and families on how to protect themselves from COVID 19, to understand risks, symptoms and transmission, and to know what to do if they feel sick
  • Promoted best practices of hand-washing and hygiene management including sneezing and coughing etiquette
  • Distributed necessary protective gears among Community Workers and Supervisors
  • Supplied necessary logistics for immediate COVID 19 preparedness and response
  • Established mechanism for distance and remote monitoring and reporting

Steps taken under COVID 19 Response Plan in Critical Emergency or Outbreak

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  1. Amended existing Program Document (PD) with Nutrition Section to include additional funding for COVID 19 responses in critical emergency or outbreak
  2. Signed Humanitarian PD with Health Section to include additional funding for COVID 19 responses in critical emergency or outbreak
  3. Determined key interventions
  • Strengthening MNCAH & Nutrition Services to protect Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Under 5 Children at Camps
  • Expanding Infection Prevention and Control Measures at Health Facilities and Communities
  • Developing competency, skills and confidence of project team to intervene COVID 19 response
  • Increasing numbers of clinical staff as reserve force to minimize HR crisis if required
  • Enhancing supplies & facilities, introducing incentives for project team,
  • Supporting Health Sector in identifying suspected cases for COVID 19 for tests
  • Facilitating referral mechanism with dedicated ambulances to the selected isolation centres