Lanjigarh, Kalahandi /Kalinga Voice : Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina,observed National Vaccination Day, also known as National Immunization Day. The company organized knowledge-sharing and sensitization sessions covering50 Nand Ghars (anganwadis modernized by Vedanta) of Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. In 8 of them, awareness sessions on precautionary measures along withvital information were conducted in strict adherence to COVID guidelines, which was attended by over 120 beneficiaries. The members and beneficiaries of the remaining 42 Nand Ghars participated virtually.
During these sessions, the cluster coordinators of Nand Ghars interacted with women beneficiariesand front-line workers about various types of vaccination such as BCG, OPV, Hepatitis-B, DPT, Polio etc. and the benefits/necessity of vaccination. They also emphasized on the importance of updating the Shishu Vikas Card and monitoring the vaccination schedule.
Speaking about the community outreach, Mr. G.G. Pal, Deputy CEO-Alumina Business said, “At Vedanta Lanjigarh, we have always given priority towards ensuring good health and well-being of the communities around our areas of operations. As part of this effort, one of our major focus areas remains the health of the children of the region. In this regard, our Nand Ghars are taking up several initiatives to save children from life-threatening diseases, by making the mothers aware and informed about the benefits of vaccination, along with the issues pertaining to nutrition and sanitization. As the country starts its biggest Covid-19 immunization programme, Vedanta is proud to be a part of the nation-wide drive with theVedanta Hospital in Lanjigarh being recognized as the first Private COVID Vaccination Centre in Kalahandi for conducting the vaccination drive.”
Acknowledging Vedanta’s efforts,Smt. Priyatama Mishra, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) of Lanjigarh Road Village, Lanjigarh Block said, “These awareness sessions organized by Vedanta’s Nand Ghars were very informative and useful for the mothers of this rural belt. Vaccinations are very crucial for mother and children for secure health and development. Such programs are helpful in raising awareness among the local community and increase the vaccination rate, thereby ensuring the good health of the children in the villages.”
Vedanta’s social interventions in the domains of sustainable livelihood, women empowerment, quality education, health, water and sanitation, bio-investment and community infrastructure reach out to a total of 69 villages in Lanjigarh and nearby areas, benefiting about a lakh people in a year. It empowers more than 3000 women from 305 self-help groups (SHGs), provides healthcare services to about 30,000 people annually, gives educational support to more than 2800 students, has planted more than 5.4 lakh trees in the community, and built 500 plus infrastructural projects at community level.
Vedanta is the largest producer of aluminium in India and remains the premier manufacturer of metallurgical grade alumina. The company operates a 2 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity alumina refinery in Lanjigarh (Kalahandi district, Odisha), India since 2007 and an associated 90 MW captive power plant.
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