PATNA: Storage equipment for
Covid-19 vaccine will start reaching the state from Friday as the state government is working to strengthen its cold storage capacity from 1.37 crore vials to 2.37 crore.
The government is preparing a database of doctors and health workers, including those working in private facilities, in the state who will be given the shots in the first phase. The deadline for preparing this list is December 8.
The State Health Society executive director, Manoj Kumar, who is the state’s nodal incharge for vaccine distribution, said they were working on several fronts. From strengthening of the cold storage chain with specific requirements, identification of frontline health workers who will receive the vaccine on priority and scrutiny of health workers to be roped in for the vaccination process.
On the identification of health workers who will be given the shots first, he said a database is being prepared which will include even those working in a private health facility or even a small medical clinic. “It is not that only government health workers or those involved in the Covid-19 treatment would get the vaccine first. Even a doctor who has a clinic will be identified, including staff working at his clinic. One never knows whether he is treating a positive person or not,” Manoj said.
Manoj said there are 674 cold chain points in the state which will be used to store vaccines. “These can store 1.37 crore vial at a time and we have to enhance their capacity by an additional one crore so that routine immunization does not get hampered. We have written for logistical support to the Centre like an ice-lined refrigerator, walk-in cooler and freezer. This equipment will start arriving from tomorrow,” Manoj said.
There are nearly 3.52 lakh government health workers, including AMNs, and till Wednesday details of 1.8 lakh of them had been added to the database. Apart from them, nearly 4,000 private institutes have been identified whose workers will be added to the list. The health department has targeted to complete this process by December 8.
Since ANMs are involved in routine immunization, alternative health workers like doctors, interns, paramedics and ANMs not in RI are being identified. Scrutiny of nearly 24,000 to 25,000 such workers are being done, who will then be trained for vaccination.