All the eligible 19.73 lakh citizens in city have completed their first dose of corona preventive vaccine
Nagpur: In a major achievement, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has hit the target of 100 percent first dose Covid-19 vaccination in the city. All the eligible 19.734 lakh citizens in the city have completed their first dose of corona preventive vaccine.
The NMC that is co-ordinating one of the largest vaccination drives in the city, announced the completion of the schedule of first dose of all eligible adult population on Tuesday. As of date, about 32.23 lakh doses of the vaccine, combine of first and second dose, has been provided to citizens. Now the civic machinery is going to focus entirely on persuading citizens to complete the second dose at the earliest. So far 12.50 lakh people have been provided the second dose of vaccine.
Nearly four lakh beneficiaries had remained to be inoculated with the first dose during mid-November owing to reluctance among sections of the population. To spur citizens, NMC announced that they would stop providing free first dose so that those who had not made up their mind would line-up for vaccination. This warning had the desired effect and within the next few days, the deserted vaccination centres, about 160 in all, saw tremendous rush as people lined up to get the first dose. Also in private hospitals, citizens drove in hordes to take the jab. However, the target of NMC to wrap-up the first dose of vaccine by November end could not materialize.
In between, NMC also undertook a door to door campaign through the Har Ghar Dastak initiative so that citizens can be vaccinated at their door steps. Vaccination campaign started in city from January 16 onwards. In the first phase, health workers, Doctors and Government employees were vaccinated. Senior citizens and those with co-morbidities were then vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Thereafter, vaccination was opened for all citizens above 18 years of age. Before that, NMC was the first civic body to arrange vaccinations for students going abroad for education. Vaccination was also arranged in various departments of the university, colleges, and more focus was given to the youth. There was a fear of vaccination in some communities.
Dr Atik Khan, the Zonal Medical Officer, and his team contacted religious leaders and highly educated persons in the community and took them into confidence and through them vaccinated all eligible people. Vaccination campaigns were also carried out in parks and large residential complexes. Drive in vaccination, psychiatric, homeless, tertiary vaccination was also done.
The Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B said that at present vaccination is being carried out at 168 centres. In the next two months, NMC will close the satellite centres operating in schools, Samaj Bhavan, temples and other places. He appealed to the people to get their vaccination without paying attention to any rumours.
