Covid-19: As domestic helps return to work, families in Patna take extra precautions

PATNA: As the Centre has given green signal for domestic helps to return to work, they resumed work with safety restrictions at several households across the city.
"Ours is a joint family, and it is not easy to sustain without the maids. We have two house helps, one each for cooking and cleaning. As there are elders in the house, we are just calling the one, who cleans because cook is not required right now.There are separate slippers, mask and gloves for her that we have kept at the entrance," said Sudha Yadav, a resident of Buddha Colony.
For elderly people like Sarita Sinha (62), maids play a very important role in functioning of the house. "I stay alone with my husband, and both of us are suffering from several diseases. I stopped calling the maid in the beginning but it was really difficult to do the household chores. After the restrictions were lifted, she rejoined. Since she is working from quite a long time, she understands our woes. Therefore, she has kept a couple of her clothes at our house, which she changes, everytime she comes for work. We have also provided her with masks, gloves and sanitizers," the Rajiv Nagar resident said.
The housing societies in the city have also allowed domestic helpers from non-containment zones to recommence their works. "Strict measures are being followed in order to keep the colony safe, for which arrangements of sanitizers and handwashes have been made at the main entrance. The colony members have also been asked to sanitize them again before entering the house," said Paltliputra cooperative society’s secretary Rai Ajeet Prasad.
Meanwhile, domestic helpers claimed that they were completely jobless for more than two months. Kanchan Kumari, who is a sweeper at a residential society in Nahar Khagaul Road said: "It was quite difficult to run a livelihood with a little amount of savings that I had. As soon as I received call from the building’s secretary who asked me to rejoin work, I assured him to follow all precautionary measures."