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27 Panchkula villages accomplish 100% vaccination
One of the hardest to reach was Morni block, where residents of 12 villages have been 100% vaccinated; supervisor Swaroop Singh from Primary Health Centre (PHC), Morni, said the 312 villages in the block had a population of around 19,000
After facing much reluctance and difficulties, the health department of Panchkula claims to have successfully vaccinated all residents of 27 of the district’s nearly 500 villages.
One of the hardest to reach was Morni block, where residents of 12 villages have been 100% vaccinated. Supervisor Swaroop Singh from Primary Health Centre (PHC), Morni, said the 312 villages in the block had a population of around 19,000.
“At times, I had to walk 40km a day from one village to another. On regular days, one travels 4-5 km easily, as vehicles don’t reach there,” said Singh.
District immunisation officer Dr Meenu Sasan said: “We have strategies to vaccinate entire villages one by one. So far, we have achieved 100% vaccination in 27 out of nearly 500 villages.”
She said Morni was a difficult area as teams had to walk several kilometres to reach the villages with limited population. “But they reached where roads won’t take you,” she said.
Some of these villages are Bitna and Rampur village of Kalka; Rampur, Amb Ki Bhud, Tandawala and Neemwala that fall under community health centre, Raipur Rani; 14 villages under PHC Morni; Alipur village in Kot; two villages in Surajpur; and Malabog, Jabrot, Nala Dhamir, Nala Dakhrog villages.
Only 18% population fully vaccinated
More than six months have passed since the first woman was vaccinated for Covid-19 in the district, but the health department has been able to fully vaccinate only 18% of the population. Vaccine shortage, reluctance among people are some factors due to which only 64% of the target population have been jabbed just once.
Panchkula has a total target of 4,10,940 beneficiaries, of which 3,38,442 have been vaccinated. While 2,63,054 people have received the first dose, 75,388 have been fully vaccinated. Over 1.8 lakh men have been inoculated, which is slightly more than the 1.5 lakh women vaccinated.
Shortage of Covishield
The vaccination drive’s pace has also been affected by slow supply of Covishield doses. Even now, the health department has stopped administering the first dose , as they are left with just 2,900 doses. Even vaccination sites have been reduced to four amid the shortage.
