Visakhapatnam: Waltair division launches door-to-door vaccine drive

Visakhapatnam: In view of the steep rise in Covid-19 positive cases, Waltair Division planned to organise a door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination campaign for the railway beneficiaries. With a focus on 100 percent first dose coverage and completing the backlog of second dose vaccination, Divisional Railway Manager of Waltair Anup Satpathy gave directions to the health department to conduct vaccination drive at railway colonies. The DRM has organised a review meeting on Covid-19 public health response measures and preparedness to mitigate the potentially contagious Omicron variant. Emphasising the importance of vaccination as a powerful defence against coronavirus, a door-to-door vaccination campaign has been planned.

In the first phase, the health department will organise the vaccination campaign at Marripalem railway colony for railway staff, their family members including children (15 to 18 years). The DRM advised that all the railway staff residing in the colony, as per government norms, should be available at their railway quarters at the time of the drive.

Ban on single use plastics

To intensify the ban on single use plastic bags, Waltair Division is conducting awareness drives on Say No to plastic bags and encouraging use of cloth bags at the railway stations.

To create awareness on the theme, the environment and housekeeping management wing of the mechanical department organised a rally in a symbolic way to send a message to the public on their responsibility in joining the fight against plastic and opting for eco-friendly alternatives. The DRM called upon the public to switch over to alternatives. "Try to make it a habit to carry cloth bags to the markets. This will largely help in addressing plastic menace and the dangers of using plastic can be effectively addressed. We need a voluntary resolution by ourselves to avoid plastic and join hands in the campaign," the DRM said.

To ensure an effective ban on single use plastic, focusing a behavioural change more such campaigns will be conducted over the division.