Vaccines arrive on boats in India's remote Sunderbans

AS part of the national covid-19 vaccination drive, the state government of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal has launched a "vaccination on boat" programme to reach the remotest parts of Sunderbans delta.

Home to more than 4.5 million people and the largest mangrove forest in the world, residents of the Bay of Bengal delta endure all the miseries nature throws at them - from cyclones to erosion.

Currently, only basic healthcare facilities are available in the region. But a government boat with vaccines gives hope to the residents.

"It's very difficult to get vaccinated in this village area. We used to line up at crowded hospitals to get a shot, unsuccessfully, before the boat came along," said Deepak Jena, a labourer on a remote island in the Sunderbans.

Indranil Bargi, a medical officer in the Gosaba area, said: "We have targeted some migrant people and the people who can't reach our sub-centre ... or any other session site (for coronavirus vaccinations)."

AstraZeneca and partner Serum Institute of India's Covishield is being used for the vaccination drive.

More than 400,000 people have died from Covid-19 in India and the government is trying to expand its immunisation drive to protect more people.

However, logistical challenges of reaching remote islands and treacherous villages in the mountains have complicated the effort.