Seeing tepid response to the Covid vaccination drive until now, the Punjab Health Department might be rising vaccination websites to a minimum of 5,000 from April 1 when the drive opens for whole inhabitants above 45 years of age, revealed Punjab’s Principal Secretary, Health, Husan Lal.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Husan Lal mentioned that from April 1, vaccination websites might be elevated to five,000 together with authorities hospitals, well being and wellness centres, major well being centres, group well being centres, ayurveda and homeopathy amenities and personal hospitals.
“Currently, nearly a thousand vaccination sites are functional in Punjab including government and private. To ensure that maximum persons are vaccinated from April 1 and eligible beneficiaries don’t have to go far to get the vaccine, we are increasing sites to at least 5,000 and all private hospitals have been instructed that they have to provide Covid vaccine facility,” mentioned Lal. He mentioned that almost 65-70 lakh individuals are anticipated to be the eligible beneficiaries in Punjab as soon as the drive opens for all above 45 from April 1.
Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, nodal officer, Covid-19, Punjab mentioned that other than practically 4,300 authorities well being amenities, together with Civil Hospitals, medical schools and hospitals, group well being centres, major well being centres amongst others, 600 non-public amenities empaneled underneath the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) have been instructed to offer vaccination facility from April 1.
“Those private hospitals and centres who were not participating till now have also been included now and they have agreed to provide the facility. With the vaccination sites being increased to at least 5,000 from April 1, we are hoping for a big jump in vaccination numbers in Punjab,” mentioned Dr Bhaskar, including that in rural areas, all authorities dispensaries, group and first well being centres, well being and wellness centres and so forth., might be offering vaccination facility.
“In rural areas, all senior medical officers (SMOs) posted in government facilities have got themselves vaccinated and those who haven’t, have been instructed to do so, to motivate the rural population at village-level,” mentioned Dr Bhaskar, including that an intense marketing campaign to encourage folks by way of posters, jingles and so forth was already ongoing on the floor stage by the well being division. “We are working to shun vaccine hesitancy,” he mentioned.
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In the marketing campaign posters which were publicised by state’s well being division, the slogan says: “Tuhadi madad layi, saadi madad karo (Help us, help you)”.
Vaccination drive thus far
A complete of seven.93 lakh vaccines doses have been administered in Punjab until Tuesday, as per the most recent figures. These consists of 3.17 lakh healthcare and frontline employees and three.73 lakh individuals aged above 60 and 45 plus with comorbidities, who’ve been given first dose. The second dose has been given to 1.02 lakh healthcare and frontline employees and 308 individuals in class of 60 above and 45 plus with comorbidities.
