Jahan vote, wahan vaccination drive for 45 + to begin soon: Kejriwal
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the Delhi government is starting the “Jahan Vote, Wahan Vaccination” campaign, in which the government will tell people to visit their designated polling stations to get vaccinated.
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He said Block-Level Officers will visit people in their wards, and the teams will encourage citizens above 45 years to get vaccinated at local polling booths in 70 civic wards.
E-rickshaws will be arranged to carry citizens to polling booths. He said those above 45 years of age should be vaccinated in four weeks, and the Delhi government will similarly carry this out for those in the 18-44 years age category as well.
Kejriwal said: “For those above the age of 45 years, a new initiative is being started namely, Jahan Vote Wahan Vaccination. As per this scheme, it is our aim and our objective that within 4 weeks, if there is no shortage of vaccine which I believe will not happen given that the central government is providing the vaccines for 45 +, if there is no shortage of vaccine then within the next 4 weeks, every person above the age of 45 years will get vaccinated in Delhi.
“There are about 57 lakh people in Delhi, who are above the age of 45 years, out of which 27 lakh people have been administered the first dose, 30 lakh people are left.
“These 30 lakh people have to be administered the vaccine. The problem that is being faced now is that the vaccination centers that we have opened up remain mostly empty, and very few people turn up to get vaccinated because of which the medicine remains unadministered.
“Keeping that in mind it was realised that without waiting for the people to come to us, we have to go to the people. We will have to go to the houses of the people and as per this scheme we will go to the houses of the people.”
He said: “In this, we will ask the people to go to the centers where they go to vote, there we have made arrangements for your vaccination. The polling centers are usually very near to the houses, within a walking distance, so the people can easily walk into these centers. From today onwards, in the 70 civic wards of Delhi, this scheme is going to be started. There are 272 wards in Delhi and there are 2 Vidhan Sabhas where there are no wards, so if we are to assume 4-4 wards each, then there are 280 wards in total in Delhi.
“Every week this initiative will be carried out in 70 wards. The first week in 70 wards and the next week in 70 wards, so in that sense, within 4 weeks this initiative will be completed.”
He said: “Today is the first day and in the first 70 wards where this initiative is set to begin, the Booth Level officers of those words are being trained. These booth-level officers, for the next 2 days, will go to every house and will ask about those above the age of 45 years.
“They will also have the voters list so they will get to know who is above the age of 45 years. Even if someone’s vote is not registered there, then all the houses under the booth will be covered. They will ask about those above the age of 45 years and whether they have been vaccinated.
“If they are not vaccinated, then they will give the vaccination slot to the person who has not been vaccinated so that they can come to the polling station at a specific time and get vaccinated.”
He added: “So everyone will get different slots. Those who will refuse that they do not want to get vaccinated then the Booth level officers will try to convince them that vaccination is the only effective method against coronavirus.
“Not only the Booth Level officers will go but a team of 2-3 people is being created and with every booth level officer, civil defense volunteers are also being appointed. So, a team of 2-3 people will go to every house and will give them slots to get vaccinated.
“Today the booth level officers are being trained, tomorrow they will go to their booths and will go to each house and will then give the slots for the day after tomorrow. They will go the day after tomorrow also and will give the slots for the next day.”
Kejriwal said: “In 2 days, the Booth level officers will complete the coverage of their booths and in the next two days, people will be vaccinated. Then we will see whether those who were given the slots have turned up to get vaccinated or not. Those who do not turn up then the booth level officers will go to their houses again.
“They will make 2 rounds of this and will try to convince them to come and get vaccinated and, in the next two days their vaccination will also be completed. So, a cycle of 5 days will be completed in 70 wards of Delhi. In the next week again, this will be carried out in the next 70 wards.”
He said: “So in this manner, a plan to cover Delhi like a carpet has been devised. After 4 weeks we will be able to say that those above 45 years who wanted to get vaccinated, we invited them from their homes and got them vaccinated. We have arranged for a lot of E- rickshaws.
“Those who would want to get vaccinated can commute through these E-rickshaws to these polling stations, arrangements for which have been made. After 4 weeks then we will be able to say that the first dose has been administered to those above the age of 45 years in Delhi completely.
“Post three months, as per the guidelines by the Central Government of the next dose, so after 2-3 months this round will be started again in the polling centers and we will administer the second dose also in the same manner to the entire Delhi.”
Kejriwal said: “When we receive sufficient amounts of vaccines for those between 18-44 years, then in the next two rounds we will vaccinate the youth of Delhi within 2 months. So, I appeal to everyone that our team of Booth level officers will come to your house. All of them are working hard and I appeal if they do come to your house, welcome them and get vaccinated because this is the only way that we can save our Delhi from the coronavirus.”
