In the wake of the Central government announcing roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine from January 16, Delhi government officials said that they are fully prepared for the vaccination drive.
The city has seen three dry runs, without anyone actually being vaccinated, to check the system and fix flaws. On January 2, it was conducted at three locations, while January 6 saw dry runs at 66 centres. January 8 clocked the highest, in 150 centres.
The vaccination booths have three rooms: waiting room, vaccination room, and observation room. A beneficiary’s documents will be first checked and then allowed to wait in the waiting room. The person’s details will be then entered in the CoWIN (COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network) platform and then he will be taken to the vaccination room to be inoculated.
After getting the shot, he will have to wait in the observation room for about 30 minutes to see if there is any allergic reaction. All vaccination booths are also attached to a healthcare facility and have an area to deal with emergency.
A cold storage facility for keeping COVID-19 vaccine during the dry run in the Capital.
CoWIN is a digital platform to provide real time information of vaccine stocks, their storage temperature and individualised tracking of beneficiaries of the vaccine. This platform will assist the programme managers across all levels through automated session allocation for pre-registered beneficiaries, their verification and for generating a digital certificate upon successful completion of the vaccine schedule.
Priority list
The vaccine will be provided first to healthcare and frontline workers, followed by those above 50 years of age and under 50 with co-morbidities.
In December, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said there are about 51 lakh people in Delhi who fall into these categories. “Healthcare workers will be the first to be vaccinated, of whom there are around 3 lakh in the city. Then there are around 6 lakh frontline workers such as policemen and sanitation staff and 42 lakh people, either above 50 years of age and below 50 years of age, but with co-morbidities,” the Chief Minister had said.
Two floors of a building in the Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH) and an existing vaccine store in Battery Lane in Civil Lines will be used as the main storage facilities, as per the Delhi government spokesperson. “All work has been completed at the utility block and the vaccine store has been handed over to the government,” said Chhavi Gupta, spokesperson of RGSSH.
From the airport, the vaccine will go to the main storage facility. From there it heads to 11 district vaccine stores, one in each district. The vaccines will then go to cold-chain points, including hospitals and mohalla clinics, where the inoculation will take place.
Stage by stage
In the first phase, vaccination will be done only in 89 centres and then eventually scaled up, the spokesperson said.
“Though we have done all preparations and dry runs, there could be some challenges and adverse reactions. So we are starting the vaccination drive in 89 vaccination points and gradually we will scale it up. These points are primarily hospitals,” said Suneela Garg, public health expert and professor of excellence at Maulana Azad Medical College.
A Medical staff seen displaying a vaccine during a dry run for COVID-19 Vaccination at a dispensary run by South Delhi Municipal Corporation at Srinivaspuri in New Delhi.
Dr. Garg said that the government has identified 621 cold chain points in the city and about 1,000 vaccination booths can be established at these points in a phased manner. All eligible beneficiaries will be informed about the healthcare facility where they will be vaccinated and when they have to reach there to get vaccinated through their registered mobile number by the government.
But there are doubts about the vaccine among healthcare workers. The government will spread awareness about the vaccine at the ground level through anganwadi and ASHA workers.
