PANAJI: The directorate of health services (DHS) targets to vaccinate about 1.5
lakh senior citizens and another 1.5 lakh people living with comorbidities, in the 45-59 age bracket.
While no time has been fixed to complete the
vaccination of the target population, a DHS official said they plan to complete the task as early as possible, with a daily average of 3,700 to 4,000 persons.
“We want to finish at the earliest vaccinating people who are over sixty years old and those who have comorbidities,” an official said.
“To mobilise people in big numbers, the help of the directorates of panchayats and municipal administration has been sought,” an official said. He further said they are prepared to vaccinate the entire target population, but it hinges on the response from senior citizens. Hence, civic bodies are engaged to convince people to get
vaccine shots.
Since kick-starting the inoculation of citizens who are sixty-plus and the other category of people having comorbidities on Monday, the health services has so far vaccinated 3,240 people, of which 2,020 beneficiaries received their first shot of the vaccine on Tuesday.
In this regard, a meeting with officials of the directorates of panchayats and municipal administration was held on Monday, the DHS official said.
“We have the infrastructure, plus vaccines. But what’s most important is the response of the people. It is a multifactorial task,” he said, in response to a query about the time frame they are looking at for vaccinating three lakh citizens.
On Tuesday, the official said, they have received an additional 52,070 doses of vaccines. In addition to the 37 health services manned vaccine sites, 15 private hospitals have been engaged for administering vaccines. However, those opting to get vaccinated at private hospitals will be charged Rs 250.
While he said they are attempting to cover the target population, it is likely that the elderly who are immobile or bed-ridden may be left out as things stand now. “We haven’t received any instructions regarding them or how to reach them,” he said.
Another senior official said cancer patients should get vaccinated provided they are not undergoing chemotherapy or at the end-stage of the disease.
Meanwhile, the directorate of health services expects to complete the first stage of the vaccination covering health care workers (HCW) by March-end.