Gov’t partnering with private groups to provide easy access to COVID-19 vaccines -Dr Mahadeo

Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, says the Government is committed to ensuring that the adult population is fully immunised, during the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Dr. Mahadeo made this statement during an outreach to several vaccination sites in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three) on Wednesday.

He said the Government will do everything necessary to make vaccines accessible to the people.

“There are places that people find difficulty to come out to so, the Ministry has taken on the score, in collaboration with the RDC and in collaboration with the local entities, whether it be a mandir, a masjid a church, or on the NDC councillors, the NDC Chairman, the Regional Councillors and the MPs in the Region to mobilise in the community, to educate people in the community and to get them to come and get vaccinated. So, not only we are asking to come to get vaccinated, we also go to them,” he said.

Since the launch of the campaign, the Ministry has been partnering with several faith-based and non-governmental organisations, along with the private sector to take the vaccines to the people.

Dr Mahadeo said some 15 vaccination sites were set up in communities across the Region to facilitate the programme. This exercise is ongoing countrywide.

DPI spoke with several persons at the sites, who lauded the Government’s efforts to provide the vaccines free of cost.

Mr. Roopdewan Shiwratan commended the Government’s efforts to ensure each eligible person is vaccinated.  

Meanwhile, 18-year-old, Ms. Latchmie Ramnarine said, “it’s an excellent job they did because a lot of persons sometimes cannot afford certain things during this pandemic so it was a wise decision they made.”

To date, the response to COVID-19 vaccination campaign has been positive with more than 148,000 persons inoculated with their first dose of the vaccine.

Below is a list of fixed vaccination sites.