Don't get into efficacy debate, take vaccine without fear: Assam's first recipient

In Assam, around 190,000 doctors, nurses, hospital staff, lab technicians, and ambulance drivers would get vaccinated in the first vaccination stage followed by nearly 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel.

Published on: Jan 16, 2021, 12:17:12 IST

By Utpal Parashar, Guwahati

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Umesh Chandra Sarma, 70, a former vice-chancellor of the Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS), became the first person to get the Covid-19 vaccine in Assam on Saturday.

The Assam government had chosen 12 senior doctors for the vaccination on Saturday. (Reuters File Photo)

He was administered the first dose of the vaccine at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) at 10:30 am when the world’s largest vaccination drive against the disease began across India. The vaccination launch in Guwahati was connected by a two-way link to the pan India rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination via video conferencing by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Assam’s health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was among those who attended the launch of the vaccination in Assam.

"I have been associated with the health services in Assam for a long time. I served as director of medical education...the first vice-chancellor of SSUHS. Maybe, the government chose me as the first recipient of the vaccine in Assam based on my contributions," Umesh Chandra Sarma said.

"I would request all to get vaccinated without any fear or apprehension so that we are able to defeat Covid-19. I would also appeal not to get into a debate on efficacy of different vaccines as they have been released for mass use after going through proper research.”

A GMCH graduate, Dr Sarma did his MD in preventive and social medicine from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University. He has also received a degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

He was administered the first dose of the vaccine by Daisy Das, a nurse at GMCH. “I am very happy to be the first person to administer the vaccine in Assam,” Das told a local TV channel.

The Assam government had chosen 12 senior doctors for the vaccination on Saturday.

Dhrubajyoti Borah, a former principal of the Barpeta Medical College and Hospital, was the second to get vaccinated followed by Ilias Ali, Padmashri recipient and former head of department of surgery at GMCH.

In Assam, around 190,000 doctors, nurses, hospital staff, lab technicians, and ambulance drivers would get vaccinated in the first vaccination stage followed by nearly 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel.

“It is a historic moment and we will remember it for our entire lives. The first phase would be over by April. We have requested the Centre to give us additional vaccines so that officials on poll duty for the assembly election due in April are vaccinated,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal took part in a similar ceremony at Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh.

A total of 8,651 vaccinators have been trained for the vaccination under the supervision of 1,300 doctors.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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