The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has prepared a vaccine administration, distribution and storage plan for which they have given training to 40 doctors working at their hospitals. Civic officials said all these doctors have been given basic training about Covid-19 vaccine which includes storage, handling, transport and maintenance of the vaccine. Moreover, these doctors will further give training to other doctors at their hospitals.
Dr Mangala Gomare, Executive Health Officer, BMC said they have selected a batch of 40 doctors from the civic hospitals and they are being trained for vaccine distribution, storage and transportation.
“Two-day state-level training was held on December 14 and 15 for vaccinators. Four senior officers from BMC’s epidemiology department, WHO, UNDP were trained as master trainers. The junior-level trainers are being trained at medical colleges, peripheral hospitals and special hospitals,” she said. Moreover, these trainers will train the vaccination team members at their respective centres and field-level staff. All the training will be completed by January 7, 2021.
Meanwhile, the civic body has identified eight hospitals as Covid-19 vaccination centres — KEM Hospital, Sion Hospital, Nair Hospital, Cooper Hospital, Bandra Bhabha Hospital, VN Desai Hospital, Rajawadi Hospital and Bharat Ratna Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner (health), said the preliminary training for the vaccination drive is over, detailed training is still ongoing. “The detailed training includes identifying people [who need to be administered the dose on priority basis], handling Covid-19 mobile application designed for distribution and scheduling of vaccines and [ensuring] precautions to be taken during vaccination. By December 31, we want to complete all our preparations,” he said.
Currently, Cooper Hospital is being developed as a model centre for vaccination, so that other centres can replicate the plan. The vaccine will be administered in three phases.
Over 1.25 lakh health care workers have been identified for the first phase, front-line workers will be given the shots in the second phase and people in the high-risk category above the age of 50 years will be administered shots in the third phase. The training of 2,500 people for vaccine administration is underway at BMC hospitals.