Even as it is waiting for a nod from the Centre, the Maharashtra Government has launched massive preparations across the state for smooth execution of the much-awaited Covid-19 vaccination drive.
Interestingly, booths on the lines of our polling booths, will be set up with three sections -- one for identification of a citizen; another section for actual vaccination and a third section where a citizen who has been vaccinated will be kept under observation for half an hour. Minister of Public Health Rajesh Tope shared these details on Saturday after attending a dry run in his hometown, Jalna. He added that if the citizen even after observation feels restless he or she will be admitted in the hospital for further treatment.
At every booth 100 people will be vaccinated at a time. Tope said that after the vaccination, it will be mandatory for the citizen to wear masks and follow social distancing. Further, they should not remain complacent but take care till the next dose.
‘’Emergency use of the corona vaccine is expected to be approved soon. After that, the vaccination campaign will be implemented in four phases,’’ said Tope. The minister noted that initially around 3 crore people comprising medical staff workers, frontline workers, people above 50 years of age and those with co-morbidities but below 50 years of age can be administered the vaccine.
Tope said training of 18,000 is being completed. The second phase is fulfilling the cold chain requirements and the third is logistics including the vaccine price and other things. According to Tope, every person selected for vaccination in the first round will get an SMS on his or her mobile number. That person will have to wait at the facility for half an hour after receiving the dose. All these procedures will be strictly followed at the centres.
As reported by Free Press Journal, the Chief Secretary led state level steering committee has said health workers from government and private hospitals, salaried workers and employees from the Integrated Child Development Project will get the first shot of the vaccine.
The second group includes frontline workers, including disaster management volunteers from state and central police, armed action forces, home guards, civil security agencies, and municipal employees. The third group includes people over the age of 50 and those with other disorders.
