Delhi Women and Child Development Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Sunday said the DWCD is directed to start the process of vaccination and child immunization in September, with the help of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers (AWW). Gautam chaired a review meeting for Vaccination and Facilitation of Medical services through ASHA and Anganwadi Workers in the community in Delhi.
The meeting was attended by the Senior Officers of the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) and Department of Health (DOH) of Government of NCT of Delhi. After the meeting, the Minister said, in view of Covid-19, it is essential to protect yourself and others around you, as the care and precaution is the utmost priority, but child immunization programme is a necessity to keep the future of children healthy and safe.
The WCD Minister further said that the ongoing activity of immunization was disrupted due to Covid-19 lockdown but after the partial unlock the immunization has been considered an essential aspect for which a decision has been taken to restore the facilities to children in the best possible manner. He informed that the Department of Health and Family Welfare has a vital role as it supports organizing immunization camps every month. Gautam said that the Department of Women and Child Development through its 10,000 Anganwadi Centres in capital plays an important role in getting the children enrolled in Anganwadi Centers immunized.
"This is done by holding immunization camp in each Anganwadi Center every month in coordination with the Health Department," he said. "In September, the DWCD and the DOH will start the immunization programme in coordination. Under this, the Anganwadi workers will facilitate the medical functionaries for the outreach program for immunization," he said.
"The AWW and Anganwadi Helpers (AWH) will help Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) and ASHA to organize and co-ordinate immunization camps in the capital," he said. The immunization camp will be organised once a month at each Anganwadi center. The AWW and AWH shall ensure the immunization of each child in their respective area. During the immunization camp, the AWW and AWH will mobilize the children due to immunization. One attendant with each child must be ensured by the AWW at the time of immunization. For the immunization programme, proper social distancing with all the safety measures will be ensured.
