By Our Correspondent
Jaleshwar, Jan. 19: Minister for Health and Population Birodh Khatiwada has directed all the stakeholders to effectively carry out their duties and help the government achieve its target of vaccinating all targeted people by mid-April.

Inspecting the health desks, holding centres and COVID-19 testing centres in Bhitthamod at the main border of Mahottari district on Tuesday, Minister Khatiwada directed the concerned authorities to conduct vaccination programmes as a national campaign.

“The vaccines should be administered by installing help desks in each ward for a few days. The campaign will not be effective by being headquarters-centric,” said Minister Khatiwada, adding, "If the public is encouraged to take the COVID-19 vaccines by installing help desks in all wards, then we will be safe from the risk of the third wave to a greater extent.”

According to the District Health Office, 56 per cent of the total population in Mahottari has received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 34 per cent have been administered with the second dose. Similarly, 85 per cent of students in the district have already been inoculated with the Moderna vaccine.

Minister Khatiwada assured that the federal and provincial governments would provide healthcare materials including Intensive Care Units, ventilators, oxygen, and health workers in order to minimise the risk of the possible third wave.

He also recommended the Chief District Officer of Mahottari to replace holding centres from the border areas and set up isolation centres instead and asked for suggestions regarding management of the human resources to fight the pandemic.

Inspecting the holding centres, Minister Khatiwada directed to keep an ambulance stand-by to take infected patients from holding centres to isolation centres.
Later in the afternoon, Minister Khatiwada inspected COVID-19 dedicated hospital in Janakpurdham, the capital of Madhes Province.