From plane to truck, car, boat & finally on foot, how Covid vaccine reached remotest parts of India

New Delhi: India’s diversity has always been its crown jewel. Celebrated for its vast and different terrains, the country, however, faced a mega challenge when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the need of the hour was to vaccinate a huge population in the remotest corners.

Detailing the action plan during the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in ‘The Vial – India’s Vaccine Story’ — History TV18’s new documentary on the country’s Covid-19 vaccine journey — said airplanes would fly across the country day and night carrying vaccines. “It took a lot of effort. We put a lot of other government work on hold,” he said.

In an interesting case study shared in the documentary, which aired at 8pm on Friday, actor and narrator Manoj Bajpayee explained how the vaccines reached a small village in Mizoram.

To reach Nunsury village, the vaccines started their 1,500-kilometre ‘yatra’ from Pune where they were manufactured. They first reached Kolkata’s regional storage centre from where they were transported to Aizawl. The journey then continued via truck to Lunglei, in a car till Tlabung and finally via a boat to Nunsury. The challenge, however, was not over yet.

Healthcare workers and vaccinators then set off on foot to ensure not even one villager was left behind in the world’s biggest inoculation drive.

Marrying technology with a spirit to eliminate the virus from the country also led to ingenious solutions. It was decided to use drones to deliver vaccines in the remotest parts of the North-eastern states of Nagaland and Manipur.

Dr Sumit Aggarwal, a scientist with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said: “The motto was that if we can deliver these vaccines by drone to these remote areas, then we can deliver in any part of India.”

It was the grit of frontline workers and scientists as well as a desire to save mankind that gave rise to India’s vaccination feat which is praised the world over.

A look at ‘The Vial – India’s Vaccine Story’

The brand new documentary on the country’s incredible Covid-19 vaccine journey brings to life the inside story of what went into producing the Covid-19 vaccine vial, revealing the country’s success in developing, manufacturing and delivering the vaccine in unprecedented timelines.

The 60-minute documentary is the first of its kind to feature PM Modi where he speaks in detail about India’s victory over the coronavirus pandemic.

‘The Vial’ takes a closer look at some of the case studies that put the spotlight on the determination of the Indian government and health workers in making vaccines accessible to people even in the remotest areas, braving harsh terrain and landscapes.

Today, a majority of India’s 1.3 billion people have received at least one round of the vaccine — a herculean task, given the diversity of the country. India also set an example for the world with the Vaccine Maitri initiative through which 232.43 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were provided across 100 countries.

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