BIRGUNJ/HETAUDA/DAMAULI/JHAPA, JANUARY 27
The vaccination campaign against coronavirus started in the country today.
India had provided the vaccines to Nepal.
The campaign started across the country after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the campaign at Teku Hospital today.
Frontliners received the vaccine in the first phase.
In Birgunj, a health worker was administered the vaccine in Narayani Hospital of Province 2 today. The first vaccine was administered to Hema Thapa, a nurse at the hospital.
Medical Superintendent Dr Sanjaya Thakur of the hospital said Thapa received the vaccine in the presence of province 2 Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut.
Dr Thakur said more than 100 vaccines would be administered among frontline workers on the first day. He said health workers deployed in the frontline in Parsa Public Health Office would be administered the vaccine in the first phase. He added that security personnel deployed in the frontline would receive the vaccine in the second phase. Dr Thakur said that the vaccines would be provided to 5,000 people in the first phase.
According to Social Development Ministry, the vaccines will be distributed to Province 2 districts such as Mohottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, and Parsa, among others.
Lawmaker Pradip Yadav, Birgunj Metropolis Mayor Bijaya Kumar Sarawagi, Parsa Chief District Officer Aasman Tamang, Birgunj-based Indian Consulate General Nitish Kumar among other were present at the programme.
Meanwhile, in Hetauda, the vaccination campaign kicked off today with Medical Superintendent Dr Prabin Shrestha of Hetauda Hospital, Bagmati Province, being administered the vaccine. Chief Minister Dormani Poudel inaugurated the campaign at a programme organised in Hetauda Hospital.
Handing over the vaccines to health workers, CM Poudel said the vaccine would be administered in 35 places of the province from today.
CM Poudel also said health workers, security personnel, and sanitation staffers deployed in the front line would receive the vaccine in its first phase. Secretary Dipak Kafle of Social Development Ministry said garbage collectors, drivers, ambulance drivers, hearse drivers and helpers, staffers deployed for body management, and health volunteers would receive the vaccine in first phase. He added that people above 40 years would receive the vaccine in its second phase and above 18 years in the third phase.
At the same time, Tanahun District Health Office also started the vaccination drive.
Chief District Officer Sagar Acharya inaugurated the vaccination by administering a shot to an employee at Thaprek Health Post of Shuklagandaki Municipality. According to CDO Acharya, health workers, security personnel, sanitation staff and other service providers on the frontline will be vaccinated in the first phase. Further, the CDO informed that the district had received some 1,890 doses of the vaccine from the provincial government. "There are 1,679 health workers in the district, and they will receive the jab in the first phase," said District Health Office Chief Shankarbabu Adhikari.
A four-member management committee led by Damauli Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Sunil Poudel has been formed for managing health problems if they are seen in persons receiving the anti-coronavirus vaccine.
"Those receiving the vaccine will be kept under the supervision of health workers for about half-anhour and will be sent home if they don't show any symptoms," said CDO Acharya. Meanwhile, three health facilities have started administering covishield vaccine in Jhapa today.
Mechi Province Hospital in Bhadrapur, Damak Hospital and Anarmani Health Centre in Birtamode started the vaccination against the virus.
Dr Manish Subedi from Bhadrapur-based Mechi Province Hospital received the first dose of covishield.
Bhadrapur Municipality Chief Jivan Kumar Shrestha inaugurated the vaccination drive. Covishield was administered to Dr Hemant Rathi at Anarmani Health Centre, Birtamode.
Dr Rathi works at Rathi Labanya Health Care Clinic. Biratmode Municipality chief Dhruba Siwakoti inaugurated the vaccination. AMDA Hospital's former superintendent Dr Nabin Dhakal received the first dose of the vaccine in Damak.
Jhapa CDO Shrawan Kumar Timsina said frontline health workers, sanitation workers, ambulance drivers and security personnel would be administered the vaccine in the first phase. Jhapa District Health Office focal person Jivan Chaulagain said the government had sent 9,000 vials the district. Vaccination will be administered from Mechi Province Hospital, Mechinagar, Haldibari, Kachankawal, Anarmani Health centre in Birtamode, Arjundhara, Buddhashnati, Jhapa, Kankai and Barhadashi rural municipalities.
