Nagaland: Five achievers recognized as ‘Women COVID-19 Vaccination Champion’

Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 8

Four individuals and one organization from Nagaland have been recognized today as ‘Women COVID-19 Vaccination Champion’ for their remarkable contribution in COVID-19 vaccination drive in the state.

It was presented during a seminar on ‘Women's role in COVID-19 Vaccination and Maternal Health’ as part of International Women’s Day here at Hotel Vivor, organized by Momentum Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity in collaboration with Department of Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland.

The Momentum Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity project is part of a suite of innovative awards funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to holistically improve family planning and maternal and child health in partner countries around the world.

The recipients of ‘Women COVID-19 Vaccination Champion’ included Lotha Eloe Hoho, Vechulou Kanuo, Sethonu Sachu, Dr Orentsani Kikon and Neivete-ü Sono.

Lotha Eloe Hoho
Lotha Eloe Hoho (LEH), apex body of Lotha women organization strives towards uplifting the community socially and economically, especially for Lotha women. LEH is led by Zujobeni Ezung as president, Renponi Jami as vice president, Loseno Ovung as general secretary, Thungchano Kikon as finance secretary, Mhonchumi Kikon as treasurer and Rachano Kithan as cultural secretary.

This group of women has done a commendable job and contributed so much to medical department of Wokha district. They carried out COVID-19 awareness campaign to Wokha Circle women unit, covering 8 villages. They undertook vaccination awareness campaign and seminar conducted at 27 colonies of Women Unit, Wokha Town and COVID-19 and vaccination awareness campaign at Bhandari area covering 18 villages.

They also distributed refreshment to 12 vaccination booth at the session at Wokha Town area. They visited quarantine centre and distributed toiletries to the returnees and donated Rs 10,000 for Quarantine mess. Further, they donated Rs 10,000 to the COVID victims of Wokha District Hospital

Vechulou Kanuo
Vechulou Kanuo is a social worker and recipient of CII Foundation Woman Exemplar Award (Micro Enterprise), 2018.

She is co-chair of Nagaland Health Project (NHP), CHC Pfutsero. She has conducted awareness and sensitization in 27 villages across five blocks in Pfutsero, Chizami, Kikruma, Chozuba and Phek. Her awareness programmes have impacted around 9000 people.

She says that most of the awareness and sensitization programs were conducted on Sundays using the church platform and on the weekend. She had conducted different meetings with the District Task Force, stakeholders, village leaders, educational institutions and medical fraternity.

Vechulou suggested that key leaders in the villages or communities should be educated properly on COVID vaccination with special effort in clarifying misconceptions and rumours and to conduct more seminars and workshops in the grassroots level.

Sethonu Sachu
Sethonu Sachu is working as Community Health Officer at Jalukie Zangdi Health and Wellness Center under Peren district.

She completed BSC in Nursing from College of Physiotherapy and Medical Science, Guwahati. She is from Kohima village. She handles OPD cases, to emergencies cases, delivery, vaccination, VHNDs, other vertical program activities, Covid vaccination, and reports etc.

She has conducted many awareness and sensitization programs in six villages. Through her dedicated hard work inspite of all the shortcomings and limitations, with no manpower, and limited infrastructure she could manage to achieve 100% vaccination at Jalukie Zangdi village. The other five villages will also achieve 100% vaccination very soon, she says. She has conducted 43 vaccination sessions till date and has vaccinated over 1500 beneficiaries.

Dr Orentsani Kikon
Dr Orentsani Kikon is AYUSH Medical Officer at Community Health Centre, Tseminyu. As COVID-19 crisis unfolded some spheres and personal life’s routine came to a halt whilst accepting new challenges and duties assigned as a frontline worker and as a healthcare worker.

Her first duty was to man the quarantine centre at K Badze Kohima which was the largest quarantine centre in Kohima, when it first started.

The quarantine centre which could accommodate more than 800 returnees seemed like a herculean task even before executing it. As it was the largest quarantine centre, meticulous planning, execution and monitoring was done with the team even before the returnees arrived. With no time frame for anything, once the phone buzzed, at any time, even if it is early in the morning, or even while having food, she would be out and wait for the buses with the team, donned in PPEs and receive the returnees and retire back only after they were all segregated and settled to their respective allotted rooms.

One of the hardest moment and the most difficult part of looking after the largest quarantine centre was, when she had to break the news to some of the returnees who tested positive after the series of testing reports arrived, and they would be shifted to COVID centre.

Dr Kikon was the warrior at the front, fighting like a champ, taking care of so many returnees, at the same time working on the countless  and endless reports, tracking each and every one who are staying at the quarantine centre.

Neivete-ü Sono
Neivete-ü Sono from Khezhakeno village under Phek district is currently posted at Longwa Health and Wellness Centre as Community Health Officer, which is located at Indo-Myanmar Border under Phomching block, Mon District.

She is covering around 4000-5000 populations approximately, and also apart from Longwa village, the health unit is also covering Longwa Wasa village which comes under her posting health center.

The first awareness programme that she had conducted in the community was on Stigma and Discrimination because of Covid-19 at the church after the service, since then she had conducted many awareness and sensitization programs on Covid-19 vaccines to different age group and different categories on different occasion and platforms.

She had trained the Health care workers like the ANMs, medical attendant, ASHAs and  AWWs, then the frontline workers like the village guards, and then to the age group of 60+, 18 +, 15-18 years, and pregnant women etc.

She has conducted 21 COVID vaccination sessions in her block till date, had conducted massive random Covid test in and around the villages. 

So far, around 1700 beneficiaries got vaccinated from Longwa village and around 300 from Longwa Wasa village.

The outreach service at Longwa Wasa village was the most difficult one, whether it rained or stormed “we still had to go because once we indent the vaccine it has to be used on that specific day or else the vaccine potency will get spoiled, which will lead to wastage,” she says.

Last year at the peak of COVID-19 while she was busy delivering health care services at the remotest areas, the news of her mother’s death has left her dumbfounded and it devastated her so much. And the saddest part was because of the transportation problem she could not even attend her mother’s funeral service. She says that her life as a healthcare worker is to put other’s safety first, and in doing so she missed her own mother’s funeral. She could not even say goodbye to her.

Later in the mid-year, she was tested positive for Covid-19 and before she could complete her quarantine period, an emergency case of placenta retained came up in the village which needed to be attended immediately and it was not in a state to delay any further as the patient was bleeding and was in a bad condition.

Even though she was still in quarantine period, she followed and maintained strict SOP and attended the case. She says that by God’s grace, she could save the mother.