Pics: Health workers at LOC continue vaccination process amid extreme weather conditions

Braving cold and heaving snow health workers in Gurez valley at 2400 meters above sea level continues vaccination process

Braving cold and heaving snow health workers in Gurez valley at 2400 meters above sea level continues vaccination process. Like other parts of India, Jammu and Kashmir as well, is under the grip of Omicron driven third wave of Covid. To assure the safety of people living in far flung area of north Kashmir in heavy snow covered Gurez, valley health workers beating the difficulties of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures are busy in administering protective doses of vaccines against the lethal virus among the people between the age group 15-17 years.

The health workers of Kashmir health department are walking and climbing 10-12 kilometres by foot everyday, to reach the far-flung areas of Gurez valley to make sure that every villager could get the vaccine. 

Bashir Teerom a health worker said “We are on foot since the vaccination drive is announced and our area Gurez which is this time fully covered with heavy snow creates several difficulties. Despite that we, the health workers team, under the BMO Gurez, are making sure that every villager gets vaccinated.” 

He further added that "We not only do it in Gurez main, but we have gone to extreme remote areas which are adjacent to line of control. For the same, we sometimes had to climb snow mountains around 10 to 12 kilometres. It took us 7-8 hours by foot to reach those areas but we made it. Our only target is to keep people away from this virus.” 

Block medical officer Gurez, along with a 12-member health team, comprising of various doctors, paramedics, are putting in their inexhaustible efforts to reach out to the hilly and avalanche prone areas. This is being done to complete their target of achieving 100 per cent vaccination against Covid between the age group of 15-17 years and precaution dose of above 60 years age group. 

Nearly 700 doses have been administered to people falling between the age group 15-17 in just past few days. Also, efforts to vaccinate the left-out young population and people above 60 are being accelerated.

People of the area thanked the health workers who are not caring about their lives and have reached those snow cladded mountain areas just to make people safe 

Appreciating the efforts of health workers, one villager said “I am thankful to BMO, who had come here and because of such efforts the vaccination has happened for the age group of 15-17. Despite heavy snowfall they have put their lives on risk we are thankful to them."