Role of local self-governments in control of COVID-19 in Kerala: an exploratory study

Authors

  • Devika Radha Symbiosis Law School, Pune, Maharashtra, India
  • Jayasree Anada Bhavan Kumaran Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College Kannur, Kerala, India
  • Mayamol Thekkel Raghavan Nair Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College Kannur, Kerala, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20205180

Keywords:

LSG, COVID-19 pandemic, Inter-sectoral coordination, Community participation, Networking

Abstract

Background: Kerala is one among the Indian states that has incorporated local self-government (LSG) bodies into its public health system. The focus of this research is to study the role of these bodies in the COVID-19 response strategy taken by the state.

Methods: Interviews were conducted with the heads of various local self-government bodies in the district of Kannur to collect information on the COVID-19 management role they undertook. The interviews were then transcribed and analysed by adopting the inductive approach to derive themes and conclusions.

Results: The interviews reflect that LSGs have undertaken a wide range of initiatives in their COVID-19 response strategy. Organisational capacity, networking with various agencies, community participation, resource mobilization, inter-sectoral coordination, etc. were significant factors in successfully conducting these activities.

Conclusions: Managing the pandemic by planning activities at local level has gone a long way in controlling spread of the viral infection in Kerala, during initial phase. The involvement of the local self-government, primarily constituted for legislative and executive purposes, has had a major role in public health activities and positive impact in the health status of the state. This can serve as a model for effective implementation of public health programs as illustrated in the case of COVID-19 pandemic.

References

The Hindu, State brings down infant mortality rate, C. Maya, 2020. Available at https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/state-brings-down-infant-mortality-rate/article31537707.ece#:~:text=In%20a%20significant%20achievement%2C%20Kerala,Registration%20System%20(SRS)%20bulletin. Accessed 17 August 2020.

National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development. Dr. Jacob John, A Study on Effectiveness of Panchayati Raj Institutions in Health Care System in the State of Kerala, 2012. Available at https://nipccd-earchive.wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/PDF/A%20Study%20onEffectiveness%20of%20Panchayati%20Raj%20Institutions%20in%20Health.pdf. Accessed on 17 August 2020.

Institute for Social and Economic Change. Decentralisation and Interventions in Health Sector: A Critical Inquiry into the Experience of Local Self Governments in Kerala, M Benson Thomas and K Rajesh, Working Paper 271. Available at http://www.isec.ac.in/WP%20271%20-%20Benson%20Thomas%20and%20Rajesh.pdf. Accessed on 17 August 2020.

Manju S Nair, V Nagarajan Naidu. Public Health Interventions by Local Governments in Kerala: An Effectiveness Analysis. BMJ Global Health. 2016;1(1):OP-24.

Observer Research Foundation. Panchayats and pandemic, Niranjan Sahoo, 2020. Available at https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/panchayats-pandemic-65185/. Accessed 17 August 2020.

Ideas for India. Kerala’s management of Covid-19: Key learnings, S.M. Vijayanand, 2020. Available at https://www.ideasforindia.in/topics/governance/kerala-s-management-of-covid-19-key-learnings.html. Accessed 17 August 2020.

The Hindu. Responding to COVID-19 at the grassroots, T.R. Raghunandan, 2020. Available at https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/responding-to-covid-19-at-the-grassroots/article31552359.ece. Accessed 17 August 2020.

The Hindu. Fighting a virus, yet again: How controlling the Nipah outbreak helped Kerala to take on COVID-19, C. Maya, 2020. Available at https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/fighting-a-virus-yet-again-how-controlling-the-nipah-outbreak-helped-kerala-to-take-on-covid-19/article30825430.ece. Accessed 17 August 2020.

The Wire. This National Panchayati Raj Day, Local Governance is More Important Than Ever Before, Avani Kapur and Aishwarya Panicker, 2020. Available at https://thewire.in/government/national-panchayat-day-covid-19-management-local-governance. Accessed 17 August 2020.

Trust and empower panchayats to respond to Covid-19, Dr. Rajesh Tandon, The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/trust-empower-panchayats-to-respond-to-covid-19/. Accessed 17 August 2020.

Downloads

Published

2020-11-25

How to Cite

Radha, D., Kumaran, J. A. B., & Nair, M. T. R. (2020). Role of local self-governments in control of COVID-19 in Kerala: an exploratory study. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 7(12), 5027–5034. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20205180

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles