MANGALURU: This tiny village, with a population of about 4,200 people, is perhaps the first village in the state to get all its senior citizens administered the first dose of the
Covid-19 vaccine
.
Thanks to the efforts of
Bantwal MLA U Rajesh Naik
and
Rayee panchayat development officer
Madhu T L, all 275 people who are above 60 in
Rayee village
of Bantwal taluk, about 30 km from here, have got their first dose of the Covid vaccine.
Madhu, who hails from Tumakuru, was posted at Rayee, when the pandemic began last year. He says: “We started the vaccination drive on the day the nation started it for senior citizens on March 1. Initially the turnout was less, but PHC physician Dr Fatima Zofra, GP president Ratna, Asha workers and volunteers, created awareness about the importance of getting vaccinated, after which all the senior citizens got their first jab by May 15.”
In fact, they have also administered the vaccine to 12 more senior citizens, who are not residents of the village. One of the oldest couples who were vaccinated are Dennis Coelho,74, and his wife Florine Coelho,72.
Naik says: “Under Bantwal constituency, there are 39 gram panchayats. We started a task force for Covid-related issues, which would also look into the needs of Covid patients in home isolation. Except for Bantwal town, the rest of the places in the constituency are all rural areas. If one has to contact someone who stays in a remote corner of a village, it is very difficult. Our volunteers ensured that each and every house was visited, and eligible people were vaccinated. For a few beneficiaries, we also arranged transportation, so they did not miss getting inoculated.”
Naik said that ration and grocery kits were provided to the needy, especially daily wage workers.
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