Covid: Pune ZP sets up 2nd-dose drive to reach pending rural beneficiaries

PUNE After deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar warned against deliberately delaying the second dose of the anti-Covid vaccine, the Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) has devised a plan to trace eligible citizens due for a second dose, but wwho haven’t taken it yet.

Officials are planning to adopt personal communication, home visits and awareness campaigns by local public representatives to encourage eligible citizens to take the second dose. Four tehsils - Baramati, Daund, Indapur, and Bhor have administered second doses to less than 50% of the eligible population. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that if people don’t cooperate and take the second dose then a “strict decision” will be taken.

“In rural parts 400,000-500,000 are due for second dose. As per our observation, 90% of people get the second dose within 84-91 days from the first. Also, we had conducted special vaccination drives through CSR between August 15 and September 15. The supply of government vaccination had also improved. So naturally, now the number of people due for the second dose is higher,” said Ayush Prasad, CEO Pune ZP.

Now, ZP is going to focus on those who haven’t got a second dose post 91 days of the first dose. Explaining the five step-plan the ZP CEO said: “The list of beneficiaries will be drawn from CoWin. They will be contacted on phone. If they are not reachable then ASHA workers will be sent to their homes. Community Health Officers will also be sent for visits and awareness will be created through local public representatives such as sarpanches. Media is also playing a crucial role as coverage related to the Omicron variant is widely given publicity.”

A total of 76% of the eligible population in Pune Municipal Corporation limits has received the second dose; 66% of the eligible population in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limits has received the second dose; and 59% of the eligible population in the rural parts has got the second dose.

Earlier, while speaking after the weekly Covid review meeting last Friday, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had expressed disappointment over laxity among citizens in taking the second dose of the Covid vaccine. He had warned if people don’t cooperate in a week then strict decisions would be taken against those deliberately delaying the second dose.