MARGAO
In a major exercise aimed at covering the left out population in the age group of 45 years and above, the district and health authorities will hold mega vaccination drives across the villages of Salcete taluka from Monday
While the exercise will kick start in around 19 villages on Monday, it will take place for two or three days in one village depending on the size of the population.
As per the schedule worked out by the South Goa District Collector, Ruchika Katyal, IAS, vaccinators will fan out to the villages across the taluka with the sole objective of covering citizens 45 years and above, who were left out of the drive.
OSD to the District Collector, Johnson Fernandes, informed that 38 per cent of the state population comprises people in the age group of 45 years and above “Though the vaccination drive had started around two months ago, there are still many who have still not taken the jab. The current exercise is to get these people to the panchayats and designated centres and cover them under the vaccination programme,” he said.
Johnson further said the district and the health administration will even ensure that the vaccinators give the jab at the doorsteps of the citizens if they cannot make it to the centres in the villages and towns.
The entire exercise was planned in coordination with the health officers, taluka BDOs and other staff to ensure that adequate logistics are provided at the centres.
All the Block Development Officers have been directed to request one vehicle (7-seater) from the village panchayat to shift the vaccinated person in case of any emergency post the jab. Further, it is also directed to deploy their staff i.e. secretaries, clerks and peons at the centres and to instruct them to visit any primary health centre for the training purpose.
Similarly, Child Development Programme officers have been directed to activate all the anganwadi workers to visit door to door and create awareness on vaccination date and venue and specify the duty hours i.e. from 9 am to 2 pm.
The Mamlatdars/Jt Mamlatdar and the Block Development Officers were also directed to create awareness amongst the public through the BLOs/panchayat members about the vaccination programme to be held during the above-specified dates and venues.
Health officials from other centres have been told to provide data entry operators for the exercise in Salcete, while letters have gone to the aided schools to provide their premises for the mass vaccination drive beginning from Monday.
