Riya is a 14-year-old child, who Prerana has been following up with, on the Order of the Child Welfare Committee as she is a child in need of care and protection under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)Act 2015. Riya’s mother is deaf and mute and her father is physically challenged. Her father struggles to make a living by working on daily wages and her mother is HIV infected. 

Due to the COVID19 lockdown, there are numerous families who are struggling to procure food and to access other emergency services. Riya’s family is also one of them. Recently, a social worker from Prerana contacted Riya’s family to check on how the child and her family were coping amidst the lockdown. Riya’s father answered the call and before the social worker could ask him, he shared that Riya’s mother had been vomiting blood for a week. She had been admitted to a local hospital but that hospital had recommended her to be transferred to a specialty hospital in another part of the city. Riya’s father expressed his helplessness, as he had no means to travel so far in the lockdown. The social worker consoled Riya’s father and assured him that she will connect him to the resources available in his area for assistance. Riya’s father kept contacting the social worker for monetary help to hire a taxi or rickshaw and take Riya’s mother to the hospital.

The next day, Riya’s father contacted the social worker early in the morning for urgent aid as Riya’s mother’s health had been deteriorating and they were afraid that she might not make it. The social worker discussed the situation internally and circulated a few messages in social media groups seeking resources in the area where Riya’s family lived. The social worker requested an ambulance by contacting ‘108’, the emergency helpline number, and after many calls were made, an ambulance reached Riya’s residence. The ambulance helped the family reach the hospital where Riya’s mother was given immediate medical assistance. 

Little they knew that reaching the hospital would initiate another struggle for the family. The doctors prescribed the medicines for Riya’s mother to help subside the vomiting.  Once better, she was immediately asked to vacate the bed as she was quite vulnerable to COVID19 due to poor immunity. Riya’s mother was also detected with tuberculosis which put the family at risk for infection as well. Riya’s father was in contact with the social worker through all this. The family, however, had no means to travel back from the hospital. The social worker suggested approaching the police patrolling near the hospital for assistance. Riya’s father again requested the social worker to send him some money so that he can hire a taxi and travel back home as the police were of no help. The social worker affirmed the family that she will try connecting the people and seek assistance from other local organizations. 

Through social media, the social worker was able to connect the family to a People Living with HIV (PLHIV) network that is active in Mumbai and nearby districts. The PLHIV network reached out to the family and assured them assistance in travel. However, the lockdown restrictions did not allow the van to reach the same day and the family had to spend their night outside the hospital with minimal food. The social worker felt helpless after listening to Riya’s father’s sharing how they were living on the streets for the night. In the current circumstances, there was no other resort but to wait for the PLHIV network reach and provide assistance the next day.

The next day, the PLHIV network reached the hospital and dropped the family at their residence. They also provided them with ration for ten days, along with monetary assistance of Rs.5500 for any other medical emergency. The struggle of the family continued even after reaching home as the neighbors panicked seeing someone coming from the hospital surrounded by few people. The neighbors were aggressive, asking them to leave as they were under the assumption that Riya’s mother was infected with the coronavirus. The police were called and they checked Riya’s mother’s medical documents and clarified to the neighbors that she did not have coronavirus. Only then, did the neighbors allow the family to get inside their own house. The police officials asked Riya’s family to contact them if they needed any assistance. 

The social worker continued her followup calls with the family, while simultaneously also seeking resources that could help them. The communication between the social worker and the family was important as the mere presence of someone to hear them out was reassuring to the family.  While Prerana had been appointed to follow up on the child in this case, in this crisis, the family was solely dependent on Prerana for assistance. Providing monetary help would have possibly been the easiest way out but effective assistance seeks to create avenues for sustainable ways. In this case, effective assistance was connecting the family to PLHIV as they were better equipped to handle the situation. Yet, it also raises concerns about the ways in which social systems are failing to help people. This case is one of the many cases where a lack of essential services is affecting people’s lives amid the lockdown.