The JK administration, under the target of 100% vaccination of those above 45 by June 30, has given priority to the villages situated in the remote areas in its first phase of vaccination.
Vian, a remote village in the Bandipora district of North Kashmir, was vaccinated by the health workers in about 4 hours.
Dr. Masrat Iqbal, the Block Medical Officer of the area, along with the medical team, the help of Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, education department employees and block-level workers went to the village to vaccinate all the villagers.
The medical team walked for several hours from the nearest road to the village and within 4 hours vaccinated all of the villagers.
Since the village is located in a remote area, the team had to walk through dense forests, mountainous pathways and over river channels. And because there’s no road nearby, the region remains cut off during the winters. This saved the villagers from the deadly second wave of Covid-19.
The locals have commended the administration’s efforts. A local resident, Nazir Ahmed, said, “The way health workers vaccinated everyone in a few hours is commendable. Now it seems that the government is concerned for us.”
Vian is the first village in the Bandipora region to have been fully vaccinated.
Although, the challenges don’t end here. There are several other villages in the district which are situated in remote areas. And because there are no roads, no vaccination has been done in these villages. Until now, 64% of the people above 45 have been vaccinated in the Bandipora district.