Dry run of vaccine held in Mohali

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 8

Dry run of the Covid-19 vaccination was held at three health centres each in urban as well as rural areas of the district today.

Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said 25 beneficiaries, a five-member vaccination team and a supervisor each participated in the mock drill at these sites as per the micro-plan finalised for the programme, so as to ensure a smooth run of all activities as per the SOPs.

As the nation inches towards its mammoth Covid-19 vaccination programme, Punjab is all prepared to administer the vaccine as and when it is received. “All logistics have been worked out and we are good to go,” said Sidhu, adding that simulation of the entire inoculation process was conducted. The operational aspects have been thoroughly reviewed and the feasibility of CoWIN Portal has been monitored, he added.

Sidhu said as of now, there were 1,000 trained vaccinators and four supporting team members per vaccinator are ready for the job. The state was equipped enough to administer 4 lakh doses of vaccine per day. The vaccine would be administered only with the consent of a pre-registered recipient/beneficiary. In the first phase of vaccination, 1.6 lakh health care workers (HCWs) from private and public facilities would be inoculated followed by frontline corona warriors, including the police, revenue officials and other field staff, and subsequently the elderly and population with co-morbidities.

The minister said he was in touch with the Union Health Minister and had requested him to provide Covid vaccine free of cost to all states. The Punjab Government today successfully completed the dry run at all session sites.