"Only a few are sick, and mostly in mild form": how the head of Vitebskoblgaz motivated the team to get vaccinated
PHOTO PROVIDED BY UP "VITEBSKOBLGAZ".
No one is immune to the disease. But by getting vaccinated, one can avoid its severe consequences. Proof of this is the statistics from intensive care units, where most of the patients are unvaccinated.
The situation can be turned around. It is especially important to do this now, during the period of mass immunization and seasonal increase in the incidence of COVID-19 and ARVI. However, heads of enterprises and organizations must play a key role in this matter, believes **Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Nikolai Sherstnev:**
— It is the heads of teams who should be interested in protecting their people from the disease. Yes, you cannot force people to get vaccinated. But you can show the importance of this step by personal example and establish effective information and explanatory work.As a convincing example, Nikolai Sherstnev cites the Vitebskoblgaz enterprise, where over 87 percent of employees are vaccinated. Taking into account those who have had coronavirus within the last six months, almost 90 percent of the team is in the protected group. Svetlana Volkova, **Deputy General Director of UP "Vitebskoblgaz" for Ideological Work and Social Issues,** shared how the enterprise management managed to achieve such results:
— The decision to introduce with
Strict safety measures were implemented by General Director Petr Shershen back in the spring of last year, when it became clear that the coronavirus outbreak was an emergency of international scale. To reduce the risk of infection for employees and clients, personal contact between people in the divisions was minimized, temperature was measured at the entrance to administrative buildings, wearing masks and hand sanitizing became mandatory, and gloves were used for personnel serving the public.
COVID-19 forced a review of the organization of work processes at UP "Vitebskoblgaz" from a safety perspective in almost all areas.
Due to travel restrictions, employees of the enterprise now undergo professional development and retraining remotely. To minimize contact during work with gas consumers, the schedules for planned maintenance have been optimized. Transportation of employees to their workplaces by company vehicles has been organized. During trips, social distancing principles are observed when seating employees. After each trip, the cabin is subject to mandatory disinfection. And all these rules are now in effect permanently.
Svetlana Volkova notes:
— When the Russian vaccine became available, the head of our enterprise was one of the first in the region to get vaccinated. The entire team followed his example.
It was also a plus that, with the support of specialists from the sanitary-epidemiological station and medical professionals, the gas workers were able to get vaccinated directly at the enterprise in specially equipped rooms. Transportation of employees from the districts was also organized.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH SPEAKS
Specialists from the Ministry of Health have developed recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant and breastfeeding women.
The decision to get vaccinated against coronavirus should be made by the expectant mother herself. An obstetrician-gynecologist or a therapist at the women's clinic will only preliminarily explain all the specifics of the disease course, the risk of complications, the benefits, and possible side effects of the vaccine. However, due to the fact that pregnancy is a risk factor for a severe course of the disease