Mobilized to reach out to those missing their COVID-19 doses, Health Ministry’s crews work hard to get the jabs to remote locations. In the eastern province of Muş, where the winter conditions worsened, nurses and doctors brave chilling weather and heavy snow covering the roads to get to the villages for the vaccination program.
Getting a vaccine is easy in cities where hospitals and clinics offer it but for those living in villages far from the city, access is a challenge, especially during the winter, when roads are usually closed due to heavy snowfall. In Muş, 15 crews visit the citizens at home, administering the much-needed vaccines, crucial to boost mass immunity. They aim to inoculate those who hesitate to get their vaccines and those unable to leave their home due to their advanced age and harsh winter conditions.
Muş is in the orange category in the Health Ministry’s color-coded vaccination map for 81 provinces, with a vaccination rate of 63.8%, relatively lower compared to other provinces in the region. It aims to be upgraded to "yellow," which is granted to provinces with rates above 65%. Vaccine hesitancy among the population is one of the main reasons keeping the rate low. The only solace for the province is the low number of cases, which is around five per 100,000 people, according to the latest figures from the week between Dec. 18 and Dec. 24, 2021.
Dr. Ümit Binici, a member of the vaccination crews, said they strive to reach out to every household in the villages. "We phone people who did not receive their jabs and offer them the chance to get vaccinated at home if they want," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday.
"We are now in a village located at an altitude of 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). Our vehicle skidded off because of the snow but this did not stop us. We overcame snow and visited houses," Dr. Hatice Bingöl, another member of the vaccination crew, told AA in Yukarı Yongalı village, some 45 kilometers away from central Muş.
"The conditions are challenging. Sometimes we barely avoid accidents while traveling across the edge of cliffs. But we want to reach the remotest places, so we can protect the public. Seeing people smiling when they come across us is enough for us and it motivates us to work harder," nurse Şengül Bayar said.
Eyüp Omur, who was vaccinated by one of the crews, said they were grateful to health care workers. "We have thick snow here and roads are narrow. Still, they came here and knocked on every door, to give people vaccines. May Allah bless them," he said.