Kusumjor of Sinapali block is the first gram panchayat in Nuapada district to cover almost all eligible population under the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
"Hundred-per cent vaccination of 45 above age group was achieved on June 28. Due to cooperation of panchayat representatives, frontline health workers and block officials, we could cover all age groups," said Dr Tarakant Dash, MO in-charge, and Dr Bhairab Panigrahi, Ayush doctor of CHC, Sinapali, who spearheaded the programme under the guidance of the district Collector and the District Panchayat Officer.
Vaccination programme of 45 above age group was first started in village Bamniguda, and only 110 people took the first shot in the first phase against total 708 in this age group. The second phase for 45 above began in the third week of June and all the rest were vaccinated.
"Vaccination of 18-45 age group started from June 21 and was completed on June 26, but it took only 17 days to vaccinate all most all of 28-45 age group of our panchayat," informed Udit Jyoti, Sarpanch of Kusumjor. "We remember how people resisted in the first phase; only three persons came forward on June 1 when we started vaccination. Now we have covered a total of 3015 people, including the 708 vaccinated in the first phase," said Dr Panigrahi. The people who are yet to be vaccinated are Covid positive 22, ANC 45 (which has now already started after Covid guidelines on ANC arrived) and seriously ill about 28 and a few others, who were not present in the villages. "Yet to be covered are 319 in total, who will be vaccinated very soon," added he.
"Now people are coming forward voluntarily. In village Chaarpali of Hatibanda GP, it became difficult for us to control the crowds. We had sent 200 doses, but hundreds more arrived and we had to call police," informed the doctors.
The doctors and the frontline workers as well as the sarpanch have been felicitated by Collector Swadha Dev Singh and Khariar MLA Adhiraj Panigrahi in a meeting held at Kusumjor.