KNZ NEWS DESK
Bandipora, Jan 17 : As the Jammu and Kashmir, like other parts, is struggling with Omicron driven third wave of COVID, the hardworking employees of Health Department are busy in administering protective doses of vaccines against the lethal virus among the people between the age group 15-18 years living in far-flung areas of snowbound Gurez Valley in north-Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Several video clips in which netizens can be seen praising these health workers treading hilly habitations covered with heavy snow, amid freezing temperatures to reach out to the young population of Gurez for getting them vaccinated against the COVID-19, have over the time gone viral on social networking sites.
Bashir Teroo, member of the health department team, while unfolding the sequence of events told GNS that he 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 to complete their target of achieving 100% vaccination against COVID between the age group 15-18 years.
“Sometimes we have to walk by foot for hours and sometimes even for a whole day to reach our set destinations as most of these hilly areas are inaccessible especially during winters, just to get the people vaccinated,” he said.
Teroo said, on Sunday some of their members suffocated and developed some minor chest complications after they walked over a hilly area, which had accumulated around 6 feet of snow, to reach avalanche prone Kishlay area of Gurez, and successfully administered the anti-COVID doses.
He said that the spirit, love, and affection to serve the people of homeland is inspiring him and others to take risks and protect the people of Gurez from this highly infectious virus.
Teroo went on to say, “I don’t care about myself, if one dies while saving many others, it will be a proud death in itself.”
Meanwhile, Block Medical Officer Gurez, Dr. Tahira told GNS that around 700 doses have been administered to people falling between the age group 15-17 from past couple of days, adding that efforts to vaccinate the left-out young population are being accelerated.
She added that around half of the population falling in this group are seasonal migrants, which is making it somewhat difficult to achieve their set target. (GNS)
