Our Correspondent
Kohima, Dec. 17 (EMN): Once again, the department of Health and Family Welfare has warned citizens of the state against letting their guards down as Nagaland enters its annual festive season, which normally lasts till early January.
Top Health officials -- including Mission Director of National Health Mission (NHM), Dr. Kevichusa Medikhru; State Immunisation Officer (SIO), Dr. Ritu Thurr; and State Nodal Officer, IDSP, Dr. Nyanthung Kikon -- briefed media persons in Kohima on Thursday, where they reiterated the need for a cautious Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The mission director said that people were more careful during the initial days of the pandemic when the number of positive cases was comparatively low and different phases of lockdown were in place.
However, the gradual rise in positive cases has been accompanied by complacency among the public, he added.
Medikhru said that the after-effect of Covid-19 is “bad” and urged the citizens not to be swayed by false information but follow all advisories and safety measures.
During the festivities, he advised people not to be “super-spreaders” but to be mindful and do the best to avoid the spread of the virus.
Medikhru said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a video conference, had announced that 30 crore vaccines will be provided free of cost in India, out of which one crore will be for the first phase that will vaccinate healthcare workers who are in direct contact with patients irrespective of facilities (government or private).
He informed that another one crore will be rolled out for frontline workers in the second phase, 27 crore for people who are 50 years and above and the remaining one crore for people with co-morbidities.
Rest of those who do not come into the category of ‘beneficiaries’ are likely to pay nominal fees, he added.
Meanwhile, Thurr informed that a total 19,654 healthcare workers in Nagaland have registered for the first phase of vaccination.
The official said that the state has 119 cold chain points and other equipment in place, and 1641 vaccination sites have been identified for the mass vaccination drive.
It was informed that the first phase of vaccination drive would be from the district hospitals (DH), Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) which would be manned by five immunisation personnel for each booth.
He maintained that state is prepared even for Adverse Effect Following Immunisation (AEFI), for which a committee has been constituted. The doctor assured that there is no reason to be apprehensive.
Kikon urged the people to be vigilant and not be complacent. He stated that developing the vaccine doesn’t mean Covid-19 is over.
According to him, even if the vaccine is administered it takes time for the antibodies to be formed.
It was informed that the vaccine is expected to arrive in Nagaland by December. Nagaland is currently awaiting the Centre’s directive for further steps; it has not received ‘any literature on the vaccine nor information about which vaccine will be used in the country’.
The department also maintained that training at the state-level has been completed while the district-level and the block-level trainings are expected to complete before Christmas.