E-Paper
Shimla’s health workers brave tough terrain, rough weather to ensure 100% vaccination
The Union government on Thursday announced that Himachal Pradesh was among the two states, besides a union territory, in the country that managed to inoculate its entire adult population with at least one dose of Covid vaccine.
The Union government on Thursday announced that Himachal Pradesh was among the two states, besides a union territory, in the country that managed to inoculate its entire adult population with at least one dose of Covid vaccine.
For a state with a topography as challenging as Himachal, the feat could not have been possible without its brave and determined health workers, who crisscrossed rugged terrains, dense forests and gushing streams, even in adverse weather conditions, to ensure that those living in the remotest areas are covered under the vaccination drive.
Besides the tough terrain, the health workers also had to deal with other challenges such as transporting the vaccine cold chain points to remote areas on time for the session to go off smoothly.
In Shimla, the biggest challenge before the health authorities was the lack of manpower. A mere 1,456 health workers were involved in the inoculation drive in Shimla district as against 4,000-6,000 workers in other districts. Even small districts such as Bilaspur had far more manpower than the Shimla.
Many of them had walk up to eight hours to reach remote regions such as Dodra Kwar to reach session sites, as parts of the district have limited road connectivity.
Heavy rains, landslides leading to road blocks and snowfall in the month of April further added to their trouble, but the health teams successfully organised 9,017 sessions, since the beginning of the inoculation drive on January 16, to cover the targeted population.
Ran Singh, a Class-IV employee, posted at a primary health centre, Jiskoon in Dodra Kwar, said he used to start his journey on foot at 5am to reach Kwar and receive the vaccine from the cold chain point at 7.30am. Then he would set out for Jiskoon, stopping for just a few minutes to have his breakfast.
He would then hand over the vaccine carrier to health worker Jaymatti and wait for her to return with the leftover vaccine after completion of sessions at Jiskoon.
Jaymati would walk up the steep hills to reach the vaccination site in the afternoon and after completing the vaccination session, return to Jiskoon at 8pm.
On the way, she would submit the details of each beneficiary to the medical officers at Chirgaon, 80 kms away from Kwar, for online updation on the COWIN portal.
“It was difficult task but I am happy that I have been able to serve my people. I also got to interact with the Prime Minister due to my work. That was the icing on the cake,” says Jaymatti, who hails from Jiskoon village, situated 7,700-ft above the sea-level in the remote Dodrakwar subdivsion in Shimla district.
She carried out eight vaccination sessions on her own at Jakha and surrounding areas and vaccinated a total of 1, 070 beneficiaries.
Another health worker, Rubha Devi, says she had to carry the vaccine from the cold chain point at Kwar to Pandhar. The village is accessible only by a trek stretching 5-6 hours. She would start her journey with peon Baji Lal at 8am, reach Futadhar by a vehicle and then cross Rupin river, followed by a steep climb uphill through a dense forest, before finally reaching Pandhar at 2.30pm.
On April 23, there was a moderate snowfall in Tikker block of the district. However, it did not deter the health workers from completing the task.
Shimla chief medical officer Surekha Chopra says, “Whatever success we achieved, the credit for it goes to our team members who faced the challenges bravely to ensure the entire population is vaccinated. It was especially challenging in remote regions but they did not give up.”
