Dry run of COVID-19 vaccination held in Virudhunagar

This was done to study the preparedness put in place at the 10 health facilities

Collector R. Kannan inspects the dry run of COVID-19 vaccination held at Virudhunagar on Friday.

Dry run of COVID-19 vaccination was held at 10 health facilities, including two private hospitals, in Virudhunagar district on Friday.

Virudhunagar Collector R. Kannan, inspected the arrangements made for the dry run that was conducted to ensure physical distancing and provision of facilities like waiting hall, hall for verification of personal details, identification of beneficiaries and injection room.

“A facility where vaccinated people would be kept for 20 minutes under observation by a medical team was also be set up,” said Joint Director of Medical Services, R. Manoharan.

This was done to study the preparedness put in place at the facilities to scan people for fever and also check with pulse oximeter before allowing them into the hospital.

Waiting hall would have adequate space for physical distancing, he added.

“COVID-19 vaccination programme will not be like other vaccination programmes. The documentation needs to have 100% details of the beneficiary and this would be checked with any one of the permitted proof of identity,” he added.

All the personal data of the beneficiary would be entered into the computer so that the details of the vaccinated person could be verified easily from any part of the country.

The vaccinated beneficiary would be kept under observation for 20 minutes by a team of doctors. “If the beneficiary develops any health complication, he/she would be immediately taken to the nearest hospital by a waiting ambulance and vaccination would be suspended at that particular centre,” he added.

“Besides, transportation and storage of the vaccination was also focused during the dry run,” Dr. Manoharan added.

In the initial phase, doctors, health workers from Government and private sector, frontline staff would be vaccinated.

Training has been given to the health workers on this process.

Every day two sessions – one in the morning and other in the evening – would be taken up at all the identified centres. In each session, 25 persons would be vaccinated.

Each person would have to spend at least 30 minutes at the vaccination centre.