On 31st July 2021, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation claimed that Bhubaneshwar became the first city in the country to have achieved the target of full vaccination (two doses) of its eligible population.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation had set a target to administer 18 lakh doses in Bhubaneswar by the end of July, projected based on the population as per the 2011 Census.
• As of 2nd August 2021, 18,77,178 vaccination (1 and 2) doses have been administered in Bhubaneswar.
Several vaccinated people:
* 18-44 years age group = 5.17 lakh. .
Aged above 45 years = 3.25 lakh
* BMC sources said, over two lakh people from nearby districts have got jabs here.
How did Bhubaneshwar achieve this feat?
To achieve 100% vaccination in the city, the administration used several strategies like:
➤identification of priority population,
➤increase in vaccination centres, and
➤creating awareness.
• Identification of population: The process started back on January 18, with the vaccination of health care workers in the capital, followed by frontline workers, people above the age of 60 years and people between the age of 18 to 44.
• The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation identified the population who needed to be vaccinated on a priority basis and specific targets were set in each category.
• Further, they also vaccinated the target people like cab and auto drivers, and delivery boys in the city.
Setting up vaccination centres
• A total of 55 immunization centres were set up across the city to fasten the vaccination drive.
• This included 30 primary health centres and community centres.
• 10 drive-in facilities were also set up to encourage people to get themselves vaccinated.
➤These drive-in facilities were opened at stadiums, parking lots in closed malls, etc.
• 15 mobile centres were set up for people who could not book themselves a slot due to lack of technological know-how, or lack of identity cards, including the elderly and persons with disabilities.
• The administration also set up special sessions on the Cowin platform through a caretaker.
• These caretakers booked vaccination slots on Cowin using their ID for people from slum areas, those without homes, beggars, persons with a mental disorder, etc.
Tackling vaccine hesitancy
• To eliminate vaccine hesitancy among the people, the administration set up special vaccine centres in the community centres in slum areas to encourage people to get themselves vaccinated.
• At these centres, people in the nearby areas came to get themselves vaccinated.
Registration of Migrant workers
• The Odisha government had made the registration of migrant workers compulsory upon their return to the State.
• This helped the Anganwadi workers to connect with the migrant workers and help in vaccinating the migrant workers easily.
The Roadmap ahead
• With the unlocking and ease in lockdown restrictions, the priority of Bhubaneshwar Municipal Corporation is to vaccinate the floating or migrating population coming to the city for reasons like studies or work.
• Further, they have also prioritized the vaccination of pregnant women, for whom two days have been fixed at the vaccination centre, to protect them from the crowd at the vaccination centre.
The Roadmap ahead
• With the unlocking and ease in lockdown restrictions, the priority of Bhubaneshwar Municipal Corporation is to vaccinate the floating or migrating population coming to the city for reasons like studies or work.
• Further, they have also prioritized the vaccination of pregnant women, for whom two days have been fixed at the vaccination centre, to protect them from the crowd at the vaccination centre.
• The administration also plans on vaccinating the migrants with the second dose within their eligibility time.
• Now the beneficiaries will not be tagged to any particular vaccination centre.
• Since there is no rush, they can go to any nearby centre to get the job.
