Bhubaneswar: Matilda Kullu from Sundargarh district of Odisha is a Covid Warrior and one among the strong women personalities in the country who have featured in the Forbes India W-Power 2021 list.
Working as an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) for Gargadbahal village in Baragaon tehsil of the district for the last 15 years, Kullu has been instrumental in bringing the healthcare system closer to the people.
It has never been an easy task for the 45-year-old Matilda Kullu to persuade and make believe the rustic people who are in strong hold of their age-old superstitions, casteism, and untouchability. She had to educate the villagers to stop relying on black magic and to treat themselves and take appropriate medical routes. As reported by Forbes India, Kullu starts her day at 5, finishing household chores, preparing lunch for the family of four, and feeding the cattle before hopping on to her cycle to start her day with door-to-door visits.
Kullu has been overworked since the onset of Covid-19. She single-handedly takes care of around 964 people in the village at a meager remuneration of Rs. 4,500 per month.
Apart from home visits, providing medicines, and helping expecting mothers with deliveries, Kullu’s other regular tasks include antenatal/postnatal check-ups, immunization, sanitization, promoting hygiene, administering polio and other vaccines, conducting surveys, and so on.
