Phurpa Lhamo | Gasa

Two days after the second Covid-19 vaccination campaign began, 18 Lunaps received their jab yesterday. 

Although Gasa dzongkhag had booked a chopper to lift the vaccines on July 17, the flight had to be cancelled because of bad weather conditions. 

With improved weather conditions yesterday, a doctor from the national referral hospital and health assistant (HA) of Lunana primary health centre (PHC) flew to Lhedi chiwog from Paro. 

The chopper landed at around 10:45am in Lhedi, taking 510 doses of Moderna and 100 doses AstraZeneca. 

Lunana’s HA, Dhan Kumar, said that vaccination began immediately after they landed. 

He said the 18 individuals took Moderna.

Health officials initially planned to complete vaccinating residents of Wachey and Threlga villages by yesterday. With the delay, the team will travel to Threlga village today and to Wachey tomorrow.

Lunana gewog has 462 people eligible for vaccination.

Similar to the first dose, a different team of six people, three health staff, two desuups and one caretaker, will walk on foot to vaccinate Lunaps.

During the first vaccination campaign, a team walked over 53 hours (often at night), and travelled to places at an altitude of more than 4,100 metres above sea level to complete vaccinating the residents on time. 

Dhan Kumar said they would be carrying the vaccines on their back. “We will try to complete the vaccination between one week and 10 days.” 

In villages, Lunaps have been informed of the date the team would reach with vaccines.

Lhedi tshogpa, Gyembo Tenzin, said they were waiting for the vaccines. “I don’t know why but many want to get Moderna this time.”

Meanwhile, a separate team will be airlifted to Esuna, which is the furthest village in the gewog.

Esuna is about five days walk from Ramina village. The village has five households. 

In three other gewogs of Khatoed, Khamoed and Laya, 17 vaccination posts have been identified. Gasa has 1,859 individuals eligible for vaccination.

Edited by Tashi Dema