Patna: Authorities in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand are offering iron pans to cook food to boost the vaccination drive.
The offer has been announced by the Godda district administration in the state. Authorities believe the idea will serve twin purposes. On the one hand it will bring reluctant villagers to the vaccination centres, on the other cooking food in iron pans will help fight anaemia which is a matter of concern among the poor tribal masses.
“The villagers have not been very enthusiastic about taking the vaccines but we hope our offer will propel them to get inoculated,” local deputy commissioner Bhor Singh Yadav said. He has already issued orders to purchase iron pans for 30,000 poor families in the first lot. His plan is to provide these cooking utensils to all 200,000 poor families.
The authorities were prompted to launch this scheme after seeing the poor health condition of villagers in the district. Anaemia, a condition that is marked by low levels of haemoglobin in the blood caused by iron deficiency, still remains a health problem in Jharkhand, particularly among women and children.
According to the National Family Health Survey, nearly 65% of women and 30% men are anaemic while the percentage of anaemic children in 6-59 months age-groups remains as high as 70%. The prevalence of anaemia is particularly high for women in rural areas, especially those belonging to scheduled tribes. Anaemia can result in maternal mortality, weakness, diminished physical and mental capacity, low birth weight, and (in children) impaired cognitive performance, motor development, and scholastic achievement, the reports said.
Earlier, officials in the Sheohar district of Bihar offered gold coins and home appliances to people getting vaccinated. Many villagers managed to get gold coins, refrigerators, water purifiers, LPG stoves and pedestal fans. The names of the winners are decided through lucky draws over the weekend.
In Darbhanga ditrict in Bihar, a local barber has offered free haircuts and shaves to promote vaccination drives. “The people are just required to show their vaccination certificates or even selfies taken while being inoculated to avail themselves of the free hair cut service,” said Thakur, who has put a board outside his salon.
He said more than 200 people have benefited from the offer so far. Thakur said the government had initiated a variety of steps to encourage people to take vaccines. “So, I too decided to join the government’s campaign. A little step can make a big difference,” Thakur added.
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