BHOPAL: Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday urged the administration into a last-mile push for 100% vaccination, and set the deadline for September 26, four days earlier.
So far, the target was to ensure 100% first dose coverage by September-end. He ordered a mega vax drive on September 17, PM Narendra Modi’s birthday.
At a review meeting on Friday evening – a fortnight ahead of the new deadline – the CM ordered ward-wise compilation of data to identify those who haven’t taken the vaccine. Information regarding people who have gone out of villages and wards for work must be compiled and the rest vaccinated, he said.
As on September 10, 75% of MP’s eligible population had been vaccinated, 17% of whom had got their second doses. Chouhan took a close look at the 17 districts where vaccination is less than 70%, and sought answers from the collectors.
The Satna collector said they have enough vaccines but syringes are in short supply. The Chhindwara collector said that the pace of vaccination has been affected by festivals like Pola and Teej, and the Betul collector blamed heavy rain and festivals. In some places, vaccination has been postponed due to dengue and other seasonal fevers, said officials. The Mandla collector said that forest department teams have been deployed to speed up the vaccination campaign.
‘Must believe vac drive is of the people, for people, by people’
Chouhan ordered a massive vaccination campaign statewide on the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17. “Efforts must be made that 100% eligible citizens get the first dose on September
17. Remaining vaccinations should be compulsorily ensured by September 26,” said the CM, asking collectors to arrange for home vaccination of the differently-abled and senior citizens even in villages.
“Vaccines should be made available in every district, as per requirement, and syringes should be provided to districts in proportion to the vaccine doses. Vaccination should not be affected due to mismatch of dosage and syringe availability,” Chouhan said.
Crisis management groups and public representatives were urged to ensure 100% vaccination. “Everyone must feel and believe that vaccination is a campaign of the people, by the people for the people. This is essential,” the CM said. The districts recording less than 70% vaccination are Satna, Sheopur, Bhind, Dhar, Rewa, Sidhi, Khargone, Mandla, Morena, Katni, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Shivpuri, Singrauli, Barwani, Alirajpur and Betul.
