Even if door-to-door vaccination is possible across the city and suburbs, the situation is different across the rural parts. With no proper roads or way to reach a remote area in Shahapur, a medical team from the Thane collector's office almost walked 16 kilometres in a remote village to vaccinate around 138 villagers including two pregnant women and four senior citizen women.
Almost 94 kilometres from Thane city, the Dapurmal village surrounded by Sahyadri hill in Kasara of Shahapur Taluka in Thane district has a population of 246 villagers, mostly tribals.
With no communication or transport system available, the remote village has been neglected from the vaccination jabs. However, the health department of the Thane District collector's office decided to carry out a door-to-door vaccination camp.
Therefore, Harshal Bhore (29), a Community Health Officer with Sub Center Vihigaon under Primary health Center- Kasara, Taluka Shahapur, Thane district along with his team member including Namdev Farde, Balu Nichite, Sujata Bhoir, Bharati Thakre among others visited the village.
"Some three months ago, we visited a remote village to create awareness and carry out a door-to-door vaccination. With no transport mode or proper road, we almost walked a 16 kilometre two way stretch from the forest but got disappointed after the villagers started banging the doors on our faces. They were not ready for any vaccination and were scared to take jabs over rumours of health issues," he added.
Bhore further added the medical team further took a meeting to bring up a solution. "We then found some villagers who came to the city for jobs and were fully vaccinated. With their help, we started sending messages and creating awareness that nothing happens to people who are vaccinated. Also, the vaccination is a precautionary measure to fight against the virus," he added.
The health team, to gain the trust of the villagers, then decided to go for a health checkup camp on the day of vaccination. "By reaching door-to-door, we vaccinated around 138 eligible people including two pregnant women and four senior citizens. In the health checkup camp we checked the children, pregnant women and senior citizen women and even gave medical assistance to them," he added.
Bhore further said the village is now 100 percent vaccinated. The Thane district health department is trying to complete the vaccination across every remote village across the district.
"The district has many such remote villages, where communication and transport are out of reach. Our health department team is reaching such remote villages to create awareness and do 100 percent vaccination among the citizens," said Manish Renghe, District Health Officer, Thane Collector Office.
