A team of doctors recently joined the COVID-19 vaccination initiative and reached the higher reaches of the mountains in Doda district to inoculate the Gujjars and Bakarwals, the traditional tribes of Jammu and Kashmir.       

Dr Hamid Parry, the Medical Officer with the team told ANI, "The authorities have been conducting vaccination drives throughout the UT, and under an exclusive program they decided to vaccinate the Gujjars and Bakarwals who migrate to these mountains."

The team of doctors travelled for six hours on foot and horseback to reach the village, IBNS said. 

The village is located 130 km from Doda city.

Dr Yakoob Mir, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Doda told ANI that the communities had migrated from Punjab to these mountains.

"Our aim is to ensure that all in the UT are vaccinated, be it the people who have migrated here from different places or those who come here for trading," he said.

The medical team checked the sugar levels of the older members of the community and gave out free medicines.

A beneficiary of the initiative Nazir Ahmed told ANI: "It is the first time that a team of doctors has reached us, since our village is very far, and one has to travel on foot a lot. All eligible people have been vaccinated here. I am very thankful to these doctors for coming this far to vaccinate us. It is really a commendable effort." (SAM)