B’desh-bound truckers to receive jabs on priority

Ranchi: The state department of health, medical education and family welfare has directed the civil surgeons of all the 24 districts to identify and vaccinate the truckers and their helpers who are engaged in the transportation of goods to Bangladesh through Land ports and Land Customs Stations (LCS). However, it was not known how many truckers from the state shuttle between India and Bangladesh.
The department’s order came a day after the Union ministry of external affairs directed all the states that share borders with Bangladesh to take up vaccination of the truckers on priority.
Talking to TOI, officer on special duty to state health department Siddharth Tripathy said: “We have issued a directive to all districts so that those involved in movement to Bangladesh for trade purposes could be identified and vaccinated at the earliest.”
In its order, issued on June 17 to the states, the MEA said the decision has been taken to ensure uninterrupted bilateral trade between the two neighbouring countries. The MEA also informed that the Bangladesh government has taken initiative to vaccinate Bangladeshi truckers, helpers and labourers engaged in transportation of goods across the border.
“In order to ensure vaccination of all such people engaged in trade, we have directed the district authorities to check such trucks that have permits to travel to Bangladesh and drivers and other staff should be vaccinated so that the risk of spread of virus could be eliminated at the earliest. as per our information Bangladesh authorities have started the same,” Tripathy said.
The move comes even as the state government is yet to come out with a concrete plan for vaccinating people who are engaged in the transport business in Jharkhand.