What Is The 'Phone Maadu' Initiative For Sex Workers About?

The "Phone Maadu" initiative was greatly helpful to sex workers in Karnataka to get easy and anonymous access to doctors during COVID-19. This initiative provided them with an anonymous route to access quality health care without being stigmatised. The initiative is now being scaled up and expanded to benefit people in other marginalised sectors by leveraging technology.

Phone Maadu (Phone Health Clinic) is a telehealth initiative by Ashodaya Samithi. It is a sex worker-led organisation based in Mysore. The initiative organically evolved from the needs expressed by sex workers during the pandemic and their lack of access to health care. Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jhanendra launched the "Phone Maadu" report on Monday, which documents how Ashodaya’s initiative promoted and changed how health care was provided to sex workers.

Phone Maadu Initiative For Sex Workers

Phone Maadu is a telemedicine-based initiative that connects community members to doctors through phone calls, WhatsApp, and SMS. "With Phone Maadu, we can speak wholeheartedly, and it is all confidential," said Devika, a sex worker.

Many sex workers preferred 'Phone Maadu' over personal doctor visits as they could benefit from its confidentiality and anonymity. They felt more comfortable expressing themselves openly over phone calls. Phone Maadu provides a non-stigmatising space where sex workers can speak without inhibitions because the odds of facing some extent of stigma are high when they visit a government or private medical facility.

Phone Maadu by Ashodaya is a huge success among sex workers but is seen as a "one-off" initiative that could be implemented in two or three other places like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal before going on a national scale.

The Ashodaya community, which consists of over 8000 sex workers, said it is committed to continuing the programme but is worried about the funding and is looking for support.

According to the report, "the perception within the community is that 'Phone Maadu' provided them with easy access to health care without travelling, its expense, and the loss of income that goes with conventional health care." Doctors play a pivotal role in the "Phone Maadu" initiative. The doctors in the programme have had previous experience working with Ashodaya.

"Successful implementation of this programme among sex workers in community-based programmes could have a transformational impact," said an Ashodaya team member. The organisation is looking at scaling the programme by leveraging technology to make it more efficient and optimised. It has suggested a model that can be established in other parts of the country for the benefit of other marginal communities.

Ashodaya will keep Phone Maadu as an ongoing programme and will also be looking at raising funds locally and from doctors to use technology to make scheduling easier. The organisation has also proposed a new system to remove the middleman from scheduling doctor appointments and provide the user with the power to access doctor consultations around the clock, which everyone can use.

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