Around 15,000 Red Crescent volunteers working on vaccination

About 15,000 trained volunteers of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) is working closely with the government across the country, including the capital, to implement the Covid-19 vaccination program 2021. 

The trained volunteers of BDRCS are directly participating in this activity, said a press release on Tuesday. 

In the meantime, volunteers participating in the Covid-19 vaccination program have been trained in accordance with government-provided volunteer guidelines in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

It may be mentioned that an official letter has been sent from the Department of Health of the Government to all the concerned including the Civil Surgeons of all the Districts and the Chief Health Officers of the City Corporations to include the volunteers of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) in the immunisation program.

According to the Red Crescent Society, these Red Crescent-trained volunteers will assist the local administration in implementing the grassroots level activities in all districts, upazilas of the country, including the capital Dhaka, in order to make the government's Covid 19 vaccination program a success.

In the first phase, 150 volunteers of the Red Crescent Society have started work in collaboration with the Covid-19 vaccination program which will be started in different hospitals of Dhaka including Kurmitola General Hospital in the capital on 27 January. 

Following this, 50 volunteers of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society will participate in the dry run of the vaccination programme which will be held today at Kurmitola General Hospital. 

Imam Zafar Sikder, director of the youth and volunteer department of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said volunteers have been prepared to assist in the implementation of the government's Covid-19 vaccination program across the country, including the capital. 

The Red Crescent's 15,000 skilled volunteers will work in phases to implement this program. 

He further said that the training activities of the volunteers participating in the Covid-19 activities are underway. 

Zafar said that 15,000 volunteers have been deployed in the first phase to assist in the implementation of this vaccination program. This number may increase further in the future depending on the needs and demands of the government.

On 24 and 25 January, 150 volunteers were trained in two batches participating in the Covid-19 vaccination program in the training room at the National Headquarters of the Society at the initiative of the Youth and Volunteer Department of the Society. 

Secretary General of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Md. Firoz Salahuddin was present as the chief guest at the inaugural function of the first batch of training.

Secretary General of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Md. Firoz Salahuddin said, "Bangladesh Red Crescent Society as an affiliate of the Government of Bangladesh is ready to provide all possible assistance in the implementation of the government's Covid-19 vaccination program. After the training of the volunteers of the society, they have been engaged to provide assistance in the implementation of vaccination activities at the district and upazila level of the country including the capital Dhaka."

He said the government has been working tirelessly to coordinate with the Department of Health, Ministry of Health and other government departments to make the Covid-19 vaccination program a success.