week ago COVID-19 As immunization drives for senior citizens began across the country in March, Dr Indira Parkhe, 39, medical officer at Shell Pimpalgaon Primary Health Center (PHC) in Khed tehsil of Pune district, faced a disastrous reality. Her husband, Dr Deepak Thackeray, a medical officer in Khamgaon tehsil of Maharashtra’s Buldhana district, and like her one of the key planners of the vaccination campaign, passed away on February 15.
Shocked, and yet refusing to avert the tragedy, Parakhe offers bereavement counseling – to continue counseling villagers to obtain doses of the vaccine. And it has been a success ever since that state had to bear the heavy brunt of the second wave of Covid-19.
Khed Tehsil has a population of about 5 lakhs and has 10 PHCs, two of which are in the tribal blocks Dehne and Kuda. The PHC in Shell Pimpalgaon, which covers 19 villages with an estimated population of 58,000, and small private clinics unable to meet the criteria of a Covid vaccination centre, was at the small government center of Parkhay to vaccinate people.
With the first batch of COVID vaccine doses arriving at his PHC on March 10, Parakhe engaged 45 ASHA workers, created a WhatsApp group, and began informing about the availability of doses and the day’s schedule. “Apart from the villagers, there were walk-in beneficiaries from the surrounding areas. So far 60,000 vaccinations have been registered at Shell Pimpalgaon PHC.
“We distributed tokens according to the dosage available that day. Camps were also organized in the community hall, and villagers were encouraged to participate…. After getting the vaccine, the village sarpanch posted his picture as his WhatsApp status. Soon, almost everyone who was vaccinated started displaying their picture (on WhatsApp),” recalled Parkhe.
Ninety percent of the population of Khed tehsil has received the first dose of the vaccine and now the focus is on ensuring that most of the beneficiaries waiting for the second dose are vaccinated by the end of October. “I am sure he would have been overjoyed; our center won many awards for the efforts put in by the staff,” said Dr Parekh.
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