Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party has repeated its demand for vaccination in Goa on war footing, stating that the battle against Covid has to be fought with both weapons – Treatment and Vaccination – together, and not one after the other. State Convenor Rahul Mhambre has said that the goal should be to ensure at least one dose to the entire population of Goa within the next 30 days.
Mhambre suggested having vaccination camps at village-level, in school premises and community halls, and said that the Govt should rope in services of not just private hospitals but also NGOs, religious & social organisations, and corporates. He reminded that organisations such as Rotary and Lions have successfully partnered with Govt on previous mass vaccination campaigns such as eradication of Polio.
Mhambre informed that the Aam Aadmi Party Govt in Delhi taken the lead to organise vaccination camps in Delhi for people in all age categories including 18+. He stated that CM Arvind Kejriwal has aimed to vaccinate the entire 2-crore population of Delhi within 3 months, and has made adequate infrastructure including the largest vaccination centre in the entire country. Stating that the drive is getting an overwhelming response, especially from the youth of Delhi, Mhambre said that Goa Govt should offer the same opportunity to Goa’s youth at the earliest, pointing out that they have been seen to be most vulnerable to mutant strains in the second wave.
Mhambre lamented that in Goa, the Govt is yet to even announce the date for vaccination for age 18-45 category. Mhambre expressed fear that, at the pace at which the govt is moving, vaccination of Goans will take more than a year to complete, increasing the number of avoidable deaths from Covid.