Mahe gives first dose of Covid vaccine to 90% residents
KANNUR: When Shivaraj Meena took charge as the Regional Administrator (RA) of Mahe, the Covid situation in the district, which is located between Thalassery and Vadakara, two main towns of Kannur and Kozhikode, respectively, was precarious. Health experts had raised an alarm regarding a second wave and warned that it would be more dangerous.
But things have changed for good as this district of Puducherry has become the second best in the country with around 90% of the total population being given the first dose of vaccines. The number of cases too has come down. Only 13 persons tested positive on Thursday.
“When I took charge, I felt a bit confused as people were reluctant to take the vaccines fearing side effects. I called a meeting of political and religious leaders and health workers and told them about the need to expedite the process, lest the second wave hit us badly. Luckily for me, they realised the gravity of the situation and we could carry out our plans,” said Meena. Now, as per the Union health department data, the district stands second, after South Delhi, in vaccinating more than 90% of the population.
Mahe shows perfect example
The small district, with an area of only nine square kilometres and a population of nearly 45,000, Mahe has shown a perfect example for the nearby Kerala districts like Kannur and Kozhikode. “We have done our task with meticulous planning. For the effective implementation, we formed 30 squads, and these squads were given their targets to make people realise the need to be vaccinated. Each team was given a target of covering 100 persons everyday and this was achieved without much trouble. With their apprehensions getting cleared, people came forward asking the health department to vaccinate them,” said Meena.
The targeted population is much less than 45,000 as children below the age of 18 are excluded. “Of the 20,908 persons above the age of 45, 90% have been given the first dose of vaccination. Of them, 23% have been given the second dose as well,” said a senior official at the Regional Administration Office. Besides 58% of the 13,050 persons between 18 and 44 years have been given the first dose, he added. With this systematic planning and implementation, Mahe has been able to bring the test positivity rate down even during the second wave. As of now, there are only 89 active cases in the district and the TPR is 6%.