Ranchi: A total of 3,200 persons – translating to about 66.6% or two in three persons-- of the 4,800 picked to get inoculated against Covid-19 on the launch day of world's biggest vaccination exercise turned up at to receive the shot at 48 centres across all 24 districts (two centres in each district) in the state on Saturday. Sources in the state health department said the figure could be updated later.
Though department officials rejected the notion that many persons were hesitant to get vaccinated, healthcare workers on the ground conceded that not everyone listed for vaccination was at ease and a few tried to avoid receiving the shots on Day One. “We had to recuse those suffering with some illness or those pregnant or lactating,” said Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)’s state head Dr Praveen Kumar Karn.
State health department secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni, who has played a key role in orchestrating the state’s response through the pandemic, said, “We have started vaccinating healthcare workers and none of them have developed any complications. We have also made elaborate arrangements for monitoring each person and all centres have been equipped and clubbed with district hospitals to address any emergency.”
Pakur, which is the only Covid-free district in the state with zero active cases and juyt two deaths, carried out several rounds of counselling and awareness. However the turnup at both the centres was at 50%. “I wouldn’t call it hesitancy but no one can deny that some people are afraid of even common injections,” said Pakur civil surgeon Dr Ramdev Paswan.
Earlier on the day, chief minister Hemant Soren and Governor Droupadi Murmu launched the
vaccination drive at sadar hospital in Ranchi, congratulating the country’s scientists for coming out with a vaccine in a short span. “It is because of our talented scientists that we can start the drive,” Murmu said in an official communication. She also appealed to the people to continue wearing masks and maintain social distancing norms.
Soren along with state health minister Banna Gupta and senior officials of state government, including chief secretary Sukhdev Singh and health secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni, monitored the whole process of vaccine administration among the first ten beneficiaries of state and spoke to them about their experiences.
Talking to media after attending the inaugural function of vaccination drive Soren said: “The vaccine will prove to be a boon for the people. Everyone is relieved that we have finally received a vaccine for the pandemic which has been haunting the world for a year. The state government had made elaborate arrangements for the vaccination drive.”
He added, “We are at a decisive stage in our fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last one year, the entire world has been through many phases of trauma, despair and hope. From here, we hope that we shall be able to overcome the virus,” he said, adding that even after taking the vaccine, people must continue with the prescribed precautionary steps to prevent any infection.
Soren lamented that the number of vaccination centres in the state were reduced in the eleventh hour, but expressed confidence the numbers would be increased if and when needed. “We have to manage vaccine administration efficiently and we will not gain much only by increasing the number of centres,” he said, citing example of Covid testing centres which was gradually increased in the state.
The vaccination drive will continue at all the 48 centres on four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) while regular immunization (RI) drive will continue for two days and Sunday will be a holiday. Dr Karn said that the days many vary from district to district. The RI schedule is decided by health officials at the local level keeping under consideration day scheduled for village haat so that maximum attendance is ensured.