First beneficiaries lead by example, motivate others
GHAZIABAD: Thirty-five-year-old Livesh Ram is a lab assistant at the government community health centre (CHC) in Dasna who, along with his wife and five-year-old son had tested positive for the Sars-cov-2 two months ago. His active involvement in fighting the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, such as testing people since the first case arrived in March in the district, put him and his family at a greater risk.
On Saturday, he was the first in Dasna to receive the shot.
“People here were apprehensive and also afraid. So I decided to take the first vaccine shot. Once I came out after spending 30 minutes in the observation room, my colleagues surrounded me to know how I felt. Later, they also took the vaccine as they saw that I was okay,” he said.
“I know how it feels when I, as well as my family members, was down with the coronavirus. Having gone through something like that, I had no fear left now in taking the vaccine. Our scientists worked so hard to ready the vaccine and I had a positive mindset about it,” he added.
Shameem Saifi, a 43-year-old ASHA worker at the Dasna CHC, was ecstatic about getting the shot, saying she has set an example for others in her village, Bhikkhanpur.
“My family did not listen to any critics or rumours about the vaccine. In fact, my husband Ishtiyak Ahmad came to drop me to the CHC when he came to know that I will get the shot. I felt normal after taking it,” she said.
“My husband asked me to see if he too can get the shot. I told him beneficiaries will be selected as per specified category. Hum gareeb parivar se hain, par ghar pe sab sehmat hain (I am from a poor family but everyone at home has shown acceptance to it),” she added.
About 10 kms away, 65-yearold Dr Tripta Bhagat, vice chancellor of Santosh University, was present through the day at the college’s vaccination centre at Santosh Hospital in Vijay Nagar. “Initially, there was some anxiety factor in everybody’s mind. So I came forward and took the shot. There were no physical reactions in anybody afterwards and I was present at our centre the entire day,” she said.
“In the morning, the turnout was less and we had to counsel people. Thereafter, the listed beneficiaries arrived and took shots,” she added.
In all, the inaugural vaccination drive was taken up at four centres in Ghaziabad, where a list of 100 beneficiaries each were to take the shots.
“I was the first to take the vaccine at our centre and thereafter, I was in the observation room for 30 minutes. I faced no issues and I felt normal. Before I arrived, there was a lot of discussion in my family. There was a sense of fear even among hospital staff. So I took rounds of departments and tried to clear doubts,” said Dr Sangita Goel, chief MS of the district women’s hospital.
Under directions from the UP government, healthcare staff are to get the vaccine first.
At the fourth centre in Ghaziabad – Yashoda Hospital, Kaushambi – Dr RK Mani, director of the hospital’s Covid-19 management and strategy wing, registered first and was given the first vaccine shot.
“We are now taking final steps to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. I am doing my duty by getting the vaccine first of all, as doctors have to lead the society by examples. When we doctors get vaccinated, people around us will feel safe in doing the same,” Dr Mani said in a statement issued by the hospital.