A Community Participation Initiative During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study From India

BACKGROUND: A community participation initiative of stitching personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, and face shields for healthcare professionals working in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted using a case study design. METHODS: The hospital tailoring unit was used to cater to the in-house demand for stitching safety gear kits for healthcare professionals. A transect walk was conducted to survey hospitals for selecting material for stitching the safety gears and to draw up a plan to meet future demand. The psychiatric social worker induced a community participatory initiative using the method of social work of community organization. A flyer was prepared to invite participants with prior experience in tailoring for this initiative. All participants were trained by the master trainers of the tailoring unit. The participants were also interviewed about their views on this initiative in an informal interview. RESULTS: A total of 83 participants, including 26 individuals (8 volunteers and 18 who received an honorarium), 2 boutiques (n = 12), and 1 government organization, participated in the activity (n = 45). A total of 1700 complete PPE kits and 13,000 masks were stitched during this period. The participants reported that the benefit of being a part of this initiative was reduced boredom, sense of purpose and satisfaction, and improved mental health due to structured activity. CONCLUSIONS: A community participation initiative using the principles of community organization, a method of social work, can help produce desired outputs and improve the well-being of the participants.