In a bid to achieve 100 per cent vaccination in Manipur at the earliest, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday launched COVID Vaccination Express in the state. He flagged off the COVID Vaccination Express for Imphal West District from the CM Secretariat.
The Health Department, Government of Manipur in a joint initiative with CARE India had taken up the programme to fortify the vaccination rollout in the state. The flagging off programme was organised by the District Administration, Imphal West.
"Delighted to launch 15 Covid Vaccination Express in Manipur today. Under the guidance of our Hon’ble PM Shri@narendramodi Ji, it is our resolve to vaccinate all eligible persons at the earliest. These vans will cover every household to vaccinate & bring our life back to normal," CM Biren tweeted on Monday.
(PHOTO: Twitter)
The chief minister also launched project Swaraksha which is brought out by the state in partnership with USAID-NISHTHA/Jhpiego. Under the project, the USAID NISTHA team would mobilise those people who are hesitant to take vaccines and bring them to vaccination centres. Every individual who got vaccinated would be directly paid Rs. 50 per dose under the project.
Speaking on the occasion, Biren stated that the state government in collaboration with CARE India had taken the initiative of COVID Vaccination Express to facilitate doorstep inoculation of COVID Vaccine like that of doorstep delivery of services in Go to Village and Go to Hills missions.
The chief minister said that 15 vehicles with required medical staff and equipment would visit different places of Imphal West for the vaccination programme. He expressed that more vehicles would come up soon to cover vaccination for Imphal East and other districts of the state.
Stating that the State had not totally overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, though the total positivity rate had come down to single digit, he urged the public to voluntarily come out and get vaccinated and refrain from any false information regarding the effect of vaccine. He maintained that about 97 to 98 per cent of those who succumbed to COVID-19 in the recent past were unvaccinated individuals.
Expressing the importance of total vaccination throughout the State to overcome the pandemic, he appealed to the local clubs and social organisations to support the vaccination programme by giving information to the locals who hadn’t vaccinated so far and encourage them to get vaccinated soon.
The chief minister also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his concern about the State and his initiative to provide free vaccination to every citizen of the Country. He also thanked CARE India and USAID NISHTHA team at Jhpiego for coming up with such programme and for its support to fight the pandemic.
Education Minister Sorokhaibam Rajen, Tribal Affairs and Hills Minister Vungzagin Valte, advisor to chief minister (Health) Dr Sapam Ranjan, chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar, additional chief secretary (Health and Family Welfare) V Vumlunmang, deputy commissioner, Imphal West Th Kirankumar and other officials attended the programme among others.
The COVID Vaccination Express would act as mini camps and have trained health workers to safely vaccinate the people. The vehicles will reach out to every neighborhood, door to door and every eligible individual, the chief minister said.
