Vaccine site set up in Kathputli camp
The West Delhi district administration has started a Covid-19 vaccination outreach site at the Kathputli Colony transit camp in west Delhi’s Anand Parbat to boost inoculations among residents of the area aged 45 and above.
The transit camp houses 2,800 families and was set up in 2016 to shelter residents of Kathputli Colony near Shadipur, as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) started work on its in-situ slum revamp project.
“There are 21,500 people (including children) living in the camp. Though only two Covid-19 cases have been reported in the camp, we wanted people to get vaccinated. Now, nearly 80-90 people are getting the jab every day,” said Sanjay Gaur, a DDA official in charge of the camp.
The district has vaccinated over 550 people at the site since it started operations on May 3. The centre, which is linked to a government dispensary, has a team of a doctor, a vaccinator, and civil volunteers.
Ishaan Sharma, officer on special
NEW DELHI:
duty (vaccination) in west Delhi, said, “The idea is to get most people vaccinated, especially in clusters where there is a high chance of infection spread.”
Residents of the camp said that many didn’t get vaccinated earlier since they had to pay ₹20-40 on to reach the nearest vaccination site in Patel Nagar. However, they said the inoculation centre at the camp pushed a lot of people to getting the jab.
Puran Bhat, an artist and resident of the camp, said, “People had to take an e-rickshaw to reach the vaccination centre. Due to the prevailing situation, several people have lost their livelihoods, and can’t afford to spend money on travel... But the vaccination site in the camp has really helped people.”
Sharma said some occupants of the transit camp were hesitant to get the shots earlier. “It took a lot of effort to convince residents. We held meetings with the pradhans of various groups living in the camp. We also held nukkad nataks (street plays) and got announcements made by religious leaders to tell people about the importance of vaccination,” Sharma said.