A total of 1.05 lakh COVID-19 vaccines have been allocated to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in the first instalment, with the vials currently stored at the facility at Dasappa Hospital here.
BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad told reporters on Wednesday that the first phase of vaccinations will be rolled out on January 16 across six locations across the city – Victoria Hospital, K.C. General, C.V. Raman Nagar Hospital, Jayanagar General Hospital, St. John’s Hospital and Mallasandra PHC (primary health centre).
Under the first phase, the civic body has already registered 1.65 lakh healthcare workers, including anganwadi workers and assistants, ASHA workers, ANMs, doctors, pathologists, lab technicians, medical, nursing and dental college students, drivers, administrative and research staff of health care institutions.
“The vaccines have been sent from the Serum Institute of India, Pune. The remaining will be sent in the second instalment. The 1.05 lakh vaccines received have been stored in the two new refrigerators. The temperature of the refrigerators can be monitored and controlled centrally,” the Commissioner said.
On the protocol to send the vaccines to the different sites, Mr. Prasad said that from Dasappa Hospital, the vaccines would first be sent to the 148 PHCs with cold chain facility. “The vaccines will reach the PHCs a day before the vaccinations are set to begin. From there, it will be sent to the various sites in the morning. Route maps from these PHCs to the vaccination sites have been drawn up. Vaccinations will begin at 9 a.m. and go on till 5 p.m.,” he said.
He added that a total of 760 vaccination sites had been identified. Each centre will have 100 beneficiaries, who will be informed about when they have to go for the vaccination. “We will wait for directions from the government on taking up vaccinations in the other locations,” he said.
Stating that all the 760 vaccination sites were ready and vaccinators trained, he said that even if the government directs the BBMP to take up vaccinations on January 17, all those registered under the first phase would be covered within three days.
Second list of frontline workers
Mr. Prasad said the health department had directed the civic body to prepare the list of frontline workers for the second phase of vaccinations. “All BBMP officials and pourakarmikas, including me, police personnel and revenue officials will be covered under the second phase,” he said. Under the third phase, those aged above 50 years and people below 50 years with comorbid conditions will be selected. The beneficiaries will be chosen based on voters’ list, the civic chief added.
