Union health minister holds virtual meeting with health secretaries to vigorously carry the vaccination drive in states n UTs
The union minister for Health and Family welfare on Monday virtually interacted with the health secretaries and senior officers of health department of several states and union territories viz Manipur, Meghalaya, Puducherry and Nagaland to review the vaccination drive during its last lap, as these states n UT have been reporting low rate of vaccination. The union health minister Dr.Mansukh Mandaviya chaired this meeting saying that let’s gear up the last lap of vaccination drive aggressively by enhancing the pace of vaccination and expanding the coverage parameters vigorously. This is being done under the Ghar Ghar Dastak campaign.
Kindly recall that while India’s first dose coverage is at 82% and second dose coverage at 43%, Puducherry (66%, 39%), Nagaland (49%, 36%), Meghalaya (57%, 38%) and Manipur (54%, 36%) lag behind from national average in their first and second dose coverage.
The union health minister Dr.Mansukh Mandaviya while reiterating that vaccination is the most potent weapon in the fight against COVID19 pandemic, he urged the States/UT to innovatively rope in all stakeholders including NGOs, faith-based organisations, religious leaders, community influencers and other partners in order to motivate and mobilise all eligible population towards full COVID Vaccination. He emphatically said “Let us ensure collectively that no eligible citizen is left without the ‘Suraksha Kawachh’ of COVID19 vaccine in the country, to address issues of hesitancy, misinformation, superstition etc.”
Health and Family welfare minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya urged the States to deploy all State Govt officials, one day each week, to visit each eligible household to motivate and mobilise them to towards full vaccination.
He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mop-up strategies for strengthening the ‘Har GharDastak’ campaign including deploying ‘PracharToli’in advance to villages which would ensure mobilisation and counselling of the eligible population along with awareness campaigns, followed by the ‘Vaccination Toli’ who would ensure that all eligible citizens are vaccinated with the first and second dose adding that “he have observed during his recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the use of stickers of “Fully Vaccinated Home”. Similar innovative strategies can be used in other states too”, added union health minister.
Minister added the states can also make children and students as COVID19 Vaccination Ambassadors to urge and motivate the elders and eligible members in their families and communities to take both doses of COVID19 vaccine.
Dr. Mandaviya exhorted the States to prepare detailed district-wise micro plans and deploy adequate number of teams to regularly review the daily progress of the low performing districts. He also felt the need for States making innovative short videos to address target groups for hesitancy, along with effective use of various social media platforms and traditional media.
The Union Health Minister engaged with the States/UT to know the specific reasons holding back the wide scaling up of vaccination drive under the ongoing ‘Har GharDastak’ campaign. He was apprised of the ongoing efforts by the State/UT administration to address issues of hesitancy.
While India’s first dose coverage is at 82% (as on date), except for the UT of Puducherry, coverage of other states remain below 60%. Meghalaya with a target population over 20 lakh has 8 lakh people waiting to be given 1st dose and due beneficiaries for 2nd dose are over 2.5 lakh. Similarly, Manipur has over 10 lakh people yet to get their 1st dose and over 3.7 lakh due beneficiaries for their 2nd dose out of a target population of 23.4 lakhs. Nagaland with a target population of 14.7 lakhs has over 7.5lakh 1st doses to be achieved and 1.2 lakh beneficiaries due for 2nd doses. Puducherry with a target population of 11.3 lakhs has 3.88 lakh people yet to get 1st dose and 1.91 lakh eligible but yet to receive 2nd dose.
Those present on this occasion were union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, Dr. Manohar Agnani, Addl. Secretary (Health), Dr. Sunil Kumar, Director General of Health Services, Ms. Indrani Kaushal, Jt. Secretary (Health), Ashok Babu, Jt. Secretary (Health) and other senior officials of the Ministry were present in the meeting.
