M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Dec 31: Passengers who have come to Garhwa district from countries namely Russia, America, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Australia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain etc are on the radar of health teams of Garhwa, said epidemiologist Dr Santosh Mishra.
More than two dozen passengers have arrived in Garhwa district. One passenger had his stopover at Singapore, added Dr. Mishra.
All these passengers have undergone Covid tests and were found fit and healthy.
Garhwa district had created a sort of history in the first wave of the Coronavirus in 2020 when 11 students had returned to their homes from China.
Sources said these China returnees had caused enormous consternation among the populace of the entire Garhwa district as the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic was in its city Wuhan.
“It was a horrific time for all of us. These 11 who used to pursue their medical education in China became at once the object of extreme suspicion as everyone had this dread that these 11 would be a small version of Wuhan,” said Dr Mishra.
However, our entire health team worked hard and we gradually overcame the scenario of doubt and distrust and restored their health and fitness. It also restored everyone’s faith in the health care management of the district of Garhwa,” he added.
Garhwa has a long porous border with two states, UP and Chhattisgarh, while its border with Bihar is via Palamu and hence, the influx of passengers from these states is too high.
Asked about average covid testing, the Garhwa epidemiologist said it is around 800 a day.
A senior official in the state government wishing not to be identified said Garhwa district ‘must double this figure of testing keeping in view the rapid surge of the Covid cases in many of the states and Jharkhand too is not perched any safely now.’
Dr Mishra rued that reluctance and hesitancy towards the vaccination still persists in some pockets of this district. Nagar Untari is one such block where there is an aversion to vaccination.
“Our doctor Suchita is in touch with the heads of the various religious faiths just to mobilise and motivate eligibles to take the vaccine,” said Dr. Mishra.
In-charge civil surgeon Garhwa Dr Kamlesh Kumar said, “Right now we are seized with the task and challenge of vaccinating the teens in the age group 15 to 18 with covaxin and those people who are 60+co morbid for their booster dose.”
“Catching teens for the vaccination will be quite an interesting experience and our health teams across this district will do it,” he added.
