DC advocates coordination for better immunisation coverage

TAWANG, 15 May: Tawang Deputy Commissioner Kesang Ngurup Damo on Monday asked the district’s health department to “share the health facility profile with the BRO, the Army and other paramilitary forces deployed in the district for better coordination.”

Chairing a meeting of the district task force on immunisation here, the DC said also that the vacant posts of ASHAs in a few villages be filled “immediately, without further delay.”

Stating that “no eligible child should be left out without immunisation,” the DC advocated “serious attention of review from all concerned” with regard to the “critical gap of population data of the district in actual head count and census.”

Matters related to updating of routine immunisation, besides the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, the PMJAY, the CMAAY, etc, were also discussed during the meeting, which was attended by DMO Dr Rinchin Neema, senior doctors, programme officers, HWOs, and medical officers from the Army, the GREF, and the SSB.

The DMO in his address said that “routine immunisation is one of our core duties and we need to work more sincerely to increase our status with respect to immunisation data of the district.”

He informed that a ‘district special vaccination campaign’ will be launched on 16 May.

“This campaign is besides the statewide immunisation campaign, and, during this district special campaign, all the health workers in different health facilities will go for another head count.

“This special routine immunisation campaign has been planned keeping in view the holy month which starts from 20 May this year, because the villagers are normally at home and do not go to their farms during this holy month,” he added.

Dr Namgey Dakpa presented a brief on the benefits under the AB-PMJAY and the CMAAY availed by the people of the district in hospitals in and outside the state, while District TB Control Officer Dr Urgen Lhamu spoke about the activities carried out by the District TB Control Society.

Dr Sangey Thinlay provided an update on “the fourth wave of Covid-19” and informed that “Covid has been declared as influenza-like symptoms by the WHO.”

He added, however, that “cases of normal influenza-like symptoms in the district have decreased as the people have followed Covid protocols like using masks.”

Vaccination unit in-charge Hemant Pegu made a presentation on the health facilities in the district, the immunisation status, and “the target given by the government for immunisation.” (DIPRO)