A remote village in Chhattisgarh's tribal-dominated Dantewada district, Renganar, has become the first village in the state to administer the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible people, officials said on Wednesday, 16 June.
A public relations department official in Raipur said, “The village has set an example in the fight against the pandemic. It became possible due to constant efforts of healthcare personnel and awareness teams,” news agency PTI reported.
Located around 420 km away from the state capital of Raipur, Renganar has a population of 310 adults out of which 294 eligible persons have been inoculated with the first jab, he added.
The official added that unlike urban areas, 100 percent vaccination was difficult in the remote areas due to limited internet and smartphones that help with the registration process. But the enthusiasm of villagers and healthcare workers bore fruit, he said.
Meanwhile, local health workers and awareness teams played a crucial role in spreading awareness about the vaccines amongst the villagers.
Earlier, several vaccination sessions had been organised by the Dantewada district administration in Kuankonda, but due to misconceptions and lack of awareness, only a few interested people showed up, he said.
However, the local health workers and awareness teams convinced the villagers that vaccine is one of the most effective ways to avoid coronavirus infection, he added.
Awareness teams went door-to-door in the village like a mission and persuaded people to get vaccinated by explaining its benefits, Renganar village head Sanmati Telami said.
A member of the local awareness team Santram was quoted by PTI as saying, “Out of 310 adult population in the village, all 294 persons eligible for vaccination have received the first dose of vaccine. Divyangjan (differently abled) also participated enthusiastically in this campaign.”
Over 72.94 lakh vaccine doses have been administered to people in all categories in Chhattisgarh till 14 June.
(With inputs from PTI)
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