Updated: December 13, 2020 2:58:35 pm
According to the initial plan that has been outlined so far, between 1.8 and 2.25 lakhs of health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase.
As the country prepares a roadmap to implement the Covid-19 vaccine in the coming months, the Delhi government has also started the process to carry out the ambitious immunization program. The Delhi government, in coordination with the Center, has identified 609 cold chain points in the national capital that will be used for the immunization of health workers, who will be the first to receive the vaccine when it arrives.
Cold chain points will span primary and tertiary facilities, and medical facilities from mohalla clinics and urban public health centers to district hospitals, maternity homes and most tertiary care hospitals will be connected for the campaign. vaccination. There are approximately 60 cold chain points in each district.
According to the World Health Organization, the purpose of the vaccine cold chain is to maintain product quality from the moment of manufacture to the point of administration, ensuring that vaccines are stored and transported within temperature ranges. recommended.
According to the initial plan that has been outlined so far, between 1.8 and 2.25 lakhs of health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase. Currently, three vaccine candidates: Covaxin from Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute-Oxford’s Covishield and the Pfizer India Vaccine – are in the fray for emergency use authorization.
Dr Sunila Garg, Director and Professor of the Department of Community Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), told The Indian Express: immunization. Mainly, the centers will be run by doctors who will coordinate the program ”. Garg is also a public health expert for the Covid-19 vaccination program.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had previously said that health workers and front-line personnel will be given the vaccine first, then the elderly, and then the rest.
In Delhi, the largest cold storage facility is being established at Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty State Hospital and will cover an area of 5,000 square meters. Officials said the vaccine will be stored here and delivered at various points in the cold chain to carry out the immunization program.
The state also has an existing cold storage facility at Civil Lines that can store up to five million doses at a temperature ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.
The government has prepared a list of around 3,500 health workers who will actively participate in the process. Among them are 600 workers from the private sector, 200 from hospitals under the railways, cantonments, etc., and 700 doctors to monitor points in the cold chain.
“The officer training at the national level has already been completed and the state level training for workers in Delhi will start from Monday. This is a cascade training in which officials from various districts and doctors will be trained in the first phase. These officers will then guide other team members. Responsible communication will play a crucial role as we need to remove myths and misconceptions among the general public, ”added Dr. Garg.
Hospitals like Lok Nayak, Kasturba Gandhi, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, AIIMS, RML and Safdarjung are among the 609 points from where the vaccination will take place. According to officials, more facilities can be added based on need and demand.
There will be about two facilitators and inoculators at each facility to inject the vaccine and facilitate the process, officials said.
AIIMS Medical Superintendent Dr DK Sharma told The Indian Express: “We already have the proper infrastructure since the institute has been vaccinating against other diseases. We will only need to plan a risk stratification strategy on how many health workers will be vaccinated in the first stage. The institute has enough space for the storage of vaccines. However, there is only one type of vaccine that requires a special temperature of -70 degrees, so even if we obtain it in the institute, we have several freezers in the research department where we can maintain this type of temperature.
Dr. Suresh Kumar, Lol Nayak Medical Director, said: “We have prepared a list of 3,900 healthcare workers from our hospitals who will be vaccinated in the first phase. The immunization will be carried out in our hospital and we have all the infrastructure prepared for it ”.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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