RANCHI: To step up coverage of second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine among healthcare workers and to motivate other beneficiaries, district administrations across the state are roping in volunteers, social organizations as well as street play artists and garbage collection vehicles to counsel beneficiaries.
From volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) to members of the
Red Cross, the authorities have also engaged garbage collection vehicles following a directive of the Union ministry of health and family welfare which allowed roping in social organisations to counsel the beneficiaries.
Talking to TOI,
National Health Mission (NHM) state managing director Ravishankar Shukla said, “As per the directions of the Union health ministry, we have asked all deputy commissioners to organise counselling programmes for the beneficiaries so that coverage of the
vaccination drive is maximised.”
Shukla also released a video message on the official twitter account of NHM,
Jharkhand, highlighting the facts of the vaccination drive and requested the beneficiaries to visit their session sites and get themselves inoculated.
Taking cue of the directions, the district administrations have started counselling of the healthcare workers, who are receiving their second dose of the vaccine along with the frontline workers, who are in first drive of the inoculation. A few districts are also targeting their future beneficiaries who include people above 50 years of age. Vaccination of the elderly is likely to start in March.
In Ranchi,
Unicef along with volunteers of NSS will organize awareness programmes to counsel the beneficiaries between February 20 and March 10. “Our teams will spread the safety and efficacy of the Indian vaccine among the masses so that the beneficiaries do not have any apprehensions ahead of vaccination drive,” state NSS co-ordinator Brajesh Mishra said.
Apart from the counselling sessions, the NSS volunteers will help people above 50 years of age in their registration for the vaccination and will also help them in getting their second dose on time.
Meanwhile, East Singhbhum has already started counselling of the elderly persons.
Talking to TOI, East Singhbhum DC Suraj Kumar said: “We have a recorded message which is played out by all garbage collection vehicles to reach to people above 50 years of age. They are going to take the vaccine in the next phase. We are also conducted counselling sessions for frontline workers like sweepers and sanitation workers who had apprehensions about the vaccine. In all major areas of city, banners, posters and messages on the safety of vaccines are put up.”