Panaji: Tika Utsav, the government initiative to reach out to the population above 45 years of age with COVID-19 vaccine, has helped the rural masses to get vaccinated, a senior official said.
BJP Goa State President Sadanand Tanavade said that the Tika Utsav has helped many to get vaccinated in the state after the camps were held in the most parts of the state taking the government machinery to their doorsteps.
The first phase of Tika Utsav was held in Goa between March 17-23, 2021 while the second is reintroduced from May 26 onwards in all the panchayats and municipal councils.
The state government has asked the local representatives to mobilize the people above 45 years of age, who are yet to take the jab.
“The Tika Utsav helped to eradicate Vaccine hesitancy in the state with the people giving up their notions against being vaccinated. It helped to control the spread coronavirus,” Tanavade said.
He said that the program was panned out very well with BJP workers knocking every door motivating people to get vaccinated.
As per the state government records, five lakh vaccine doses (including first and second dose) were administered till May 28. Goa has a total population of 16 lakh.
The detailed statistics as on May 26 reveals that 95,886 people were “fully vaccinated” while 3,00,923 had taken only the first dose. The figure includes the people in the age group of 18-44 and 45 and above.
“We are getting response for the Tika Utsav 2.0 but we are expecting it to be more,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.
He stated that the target is to vaccinate hundred percent population in the state, which is above 45 years of age.
BJP’s Goa Medical Cell in-charge and former Indian Medical Association’s Goa Chapter President Dr Shekhar Salkar said that the Tika Utsav largely helped to get the people living in the rural areas vaccinated.
“These people would have never come to the government vaccination centre otherwise due to various logistic reasons,” he said.
Salkar said that the “unnecessary hesitancy” about vaccination created by some opinion-makers was wiped out with Tika Utsav.
He said that the state will not be able to touch cent per cent vaccination target in all age groups, but even if it achieves 60 to 70 per cent target than, it will help to curb spread of the virus.
