Budgam: Having worked in the Health Department for several years, Abida Gani had an unusual task ahead of her on Thursday, during a COVID vaccination drive in the snow-bound upper reaches of Budgam district. Abida, a resident of Budgam’s Khan Sahab area, reached Mujhpathri village well before noon with COVID vaccination kits accompanied by several of her other team members.
Despite the bone-chilling cold, Abida reached out door to door to ensure that the 15 to 18-year age group was covered in the vaccination drive. She began her designated job of administering vaccines amid almost 2 feet deep snow.
“There is no time to even take a tea break. We are not leaving behind any house and fulfilling our duty despite the huge snow accumulation” said Abida. She said Health department officials even tried to create awareness among people to maintain social distancing and wearing of masks.
Abida is not the only Health department worker who kept waiting at the main entrance of the village to conduct the vaccination drive.
In the Khan Sahab area, many other health workers including Asha workers and nurses, wearing body protective gear and a face mask, conduct the vaccination drive with enthusiasm.
At almost all localities of the village, apart from vaccination, preventive measures against COVID-19 are also being informed to inhabitants.
Abida said apart from the teenagers, senior citizens who cannot move out of their homes due to the heavy snow accumulation were being given booster doses of the COVID19 vaccine.
Doctors who reached out to villages such as Lanilab, Basantwodur and Thajwodur in the upper reaches of Budgam said all possible steps were being taken to cover 100 per cent population in the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
“Our wellness Centre belongs to block Khansahab. This entire belt is the peripheral area of Budgam.
Performing duties in this area is not easy due to the huge accumulation of snow but our teams are putting in best efforts to carry out door to door vaccination” said Dr Faheem, In-charge Health and Wellness Centre Mujhpathri.
Apart from the measures taken at the vaccination sites, the Health Department has also tried to ensure that COVID-19 positive persons undergoing home quarantine are provided support, an official said.
Speaking with Greater Kashmir, Chief Medical Officer, Budgam, Dr Tajamul Hussain Khan said all the aspects regarding the healthcare delivery system were put in place to ensure that mitigation of COVID19 was done effectively. “We are well prepared and have enough dedicated healthcare facilities for handling the COVID19 situation,” said Dr Khan.
“About vaccination, 60 years plus age group, people with co-morbidities and frontline workers are being given the booster dose of the vaccine. We have covered 52000 children in the age group of 15 to 18 years in the ongoing vaccination drive. The door-to-door vaccination drive is going on in the entire Budgam district especially in snow-bound areas. All arrangements are in place to mitigate the third Wave of COVID19” Dr Khan said.
The official said 10-bedded triage centres and COVID care centres at Panchayat levels were also being utilised, adding that there was “no dearth of oxygen and medical supplies”. Dr Khan also said that people in home isolation were also being reached out for extending support.