The Greater Chennai Corporation is taking the vaccination programme to the doorsteps of residents by tying up with resident welfare associations (RWAs), multi-storey apartments, Rotary Clubs and big companies.
The civic body has instructed local officials in all 200 divisions of the 15 zones to give full support by organising campaigns in apartments and community halls of RWAs.
Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the civic body’s focus was on organising special camps as the success of any vaccination programme depended on community support. Mr. Bedi said now that the lockdown was in force, the residents would be hesitant to go to the urban primary health centres (UPHCs). But when camps were organised in neighbourhoods, more people were coming out to take the vaccine. He said the special camps were in addition to the vaccination done in the UPHCs.
Mr. Bedi said since the civic body initiated the special camps, the number of those getting vaccinated had started increasing and now stood at 30,000 daily. The civic body proposes to increase this number to 40,000 after those above 18 years are also brought under the drive in a few days.
The Corporation has organised a total of 2,800 camps throughout the city, and has vaccinated nearly 2 lakh people till Thursday. Adyar zone, comprising Besant Nagar, Velachery, Adyar and Taramani, has been proactive in the campaign as it organised over 100 camps. Similarly, the civic body has organised 91 camps in Ambattur zone and 71 camps in Royapuram zone.
An official of Adyar zone said zonal officials had directed them to vaccinate a minimum of 200 persons per day in each ward.
Mukund Ramesh, an office-bearer of the Defence Colony Residents’ Welfare Association at Ekkatuthangal, organised a camp recently in which more than 100 residents took the jab.
A senior official said only Covishield was being administered to residents. Covaxin was restricted to those taking the second dose, for which they would have to visit the UPHCs.
