To encourage COVID-19 vaccination, one vaccination verifier, Ibomcha Ahongshangbam donated his three-day honorarium to three lucky vaccinated persons of Thangmeiband assembly constituency.
“With the motive to encourage vaccination among the public, I took the initiative by selecting three vaccinated persons randomly,” Ibomcha of Thangmeiband Khomdram Selungba Leikai, Imphal West told the Imphal Free Press.
Ibomcha said he owns a digital printing shop at RIMS road, Imphal West and his business was running smoothly before the outbreak of COVID-19 first wave in the state. However, with the coming of the first wave, his shop was closed. Later, he was hired as data entry operator cum vaccination verifier in the vaccination programme initiated by the government. He joined a 10-day training programme to update the population of vaccinated persons under the instruction of SDC, Lamphel.
Responding to the IFP when asked about the reason for taking the initiative, Ibomcha said that during the first wave of COVID, he was tested positive and admitted to a COVID Care Centre where he had to face serious suffering. Recalling the moments of his bad health condition in COVID Care Centre, he does not want any other person to suffer the same and so he decided to donate his three-day honorarium as prizes for vaccinated persons.
Ibomcha is hopeful that his initiative would encourage people to get the vaccine shot.
He said that mobile vaccination was started since June 25 in Thangmeiband assembly constituency and he has been getting Rs 600 per working day as an honorarium for verifying the data of vaccination list. To encourage the people to get vaccinated, he has selected three vaccinated persons randomly from the list and his three days’ honorarium will be given to them as lucky prizes.
He also told IFP that similar activity will be carried out in the days to come in order to encourage more people for the vaccination, including those who are hesitant to get vaccinated.
Speaking to the IFP reporter over the phone, one of the lucky winners, I Ichanmacha of Lalambung Takhellambam Leikai, Imphal West, said she was surprised when she received a call telling her that she won the lucky prize for vaccination.
Ichanmacha is a street vendor who started her business from the initial period of total lockdown in the state. Earlier, she used to run a small-scale business as a local incense sticks (agarbatti or dhoop) manufacturer. But as the raw material was hard to get due to the lockdown, she started selling vegetables as a street vendor along RIMS road.
She opined that people must not be hesitant to get the vaccination as early vaccination is the safest way to prevent severe impact of COVID-19 infection.
Another lucky winner, T Meneka of Lalambung Naoshekpam Leikai, Imphal West, who is a lab technician by profession, told IFP that the initiative taken by Ibomcha will help in encouraging the people who are yet to get the vaccine. She appealed to the people to get early vaccination in order to avoid severe impact from the deadly virus.
Lucky winner Ningombam Ton of Thangmeiband Polem Leikai also told this the IFP reporter over the phone that the initiative is a good step in order to encourage the people. He said that though the prize money was not big, getting a prize for vaccination made him happy and proud that he had contributed to the society in the fight against the deadly virus.
When asked if there is any suggestion he wanted to make to the state government in order to encourage vaccination among the people, Ton said the fact that government has provided free vaccination for the entire state is big measure.
Earlier people used to take the vaccine by paying money at some dedicated vaccination centres, Ton recalled, saying that with the initiative of the government, people are now getting the opportunity for free vaccination, including door-to-door service. He further appealed to the volunteers and people who came for vaccination to cooperate with each other in order to avoid misunderstanding at the time of vaccination.
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