Even as Chhattisgarh’s first dose coverage of COVID-19 vaccine stands at 83 per cent and second dose coverage at 42 per cent, progress of vaccination in districts of Bastar division remains a matter of concern for State Government. In many districts in this division, only 60% of the population have received the first dose of vaccine while in second dose of vaccine, these districts covered only 25 per cent of eligible population. It may be mentioned here that, in Raigarh district, cent percent eligible population got the first dose of vaccine while in Capital Raipur as well as Durg districts too, over 85 per cent of eligible population got the first vaccine. But in contrast, districts in Bastar division are poorly vaccinated except Bastar, all the districts are yet to cover 60 per cent of their eligible population under first dose of coronavirus vaccine.

 

In Sukma district, with a target population of 2.7 lakh, only 1.38 lakh population has received first dose of vaccine while in second dose of vaccine, only 87800 got it so far. Similarly, Bijapur district has over 1.5 lakh people yet to get first dose of the vaccine and 2.4 lakh due beneficiaries for the second dose of a target population of 3.1 lakh. On the other hand, Dantewada district with a target population of 4.1 lakh has over 1.66 lakh who got the first dose and only 1.07 lakh population received the second dose of the vaccine so far. In Narayanpur district, with a target population of 2.1 lakhs, only 83,841 got the first dose of the vaccine and 26,646 got the second dose of vaccine so far. In Kondagaon district too, with a target population of 6.8 lakh, only 4.66 lakh population got the first dose of the vaccine while 1.24 lakh people got the second dose of the vaccine. The Chhattisgarh Department of Health and Family Welfare urged the district administration, different social organisations, NGOs, Gram Panchayats and Nagar Panchayats and other partners to motivate and mobilise all eligible population towards full COVID-19 vaccination.

 

The department also urged the districts to take some immediate measures in raising the number of vaccinated people. “Owing to rumours, in these tribal districts, many people do not come forward to take the doses of vaccine. The government as well as health department should take some immediate measures and steps to increase the vaccination as new variant has come up in the world,” said Dr Tanmay Jain, COVID-19 expert. Even, many doctors were of the view that, health department as well as district administration should make children and students as coronavirus vaccination volunteers to urge and motivate the elders and eligible population to take both doses of the coronavirus vaccine. Dr A S Thakur, Another COVID-19 expert stated that as new variant arrived in many parts of the world, now it is necessary to cover cent percent population under vaccine coverage.