Nagpur: Collector Ravindra Thakare has said
Covid vaccine will be made available in December end or first week of January, as per a statement issued by the district information office (DIO) on Tuesday. “Doctors, nurses and high-risk patients will be vaccinated on priority wise. Each and every ‘Corona yoddha’ will be administered vaccine,” said the DIO release quoting Thakare.
The statement comes in the backdrop of three companies filing applications with the Drugs Controller General of India for emergency use authorization of their vaccine candidates.
Thakare, also chairman of disaster management authority, Nagpur district, on Tuesday held a meeting of district task force at Bachat Bhavan to review preparations for Covid-19 vaccination programme. The DIO has issued a press release regarding the meeting. Couple of officials who were present in the meeting confirmed that Thakare made the statement.
Thakare, an IAS officer, has reportedly urged the health department to put in place proper planning for the vaccine roll-out. The DIO release clearly mentions Thakare speaking about availability of the vaccine in December end or first week of January, and not about “chances” or “possibilities”.
CEO of zilla parishad Yogesh Kumbhejkar, additional collector Shrikant Phadke, resident deputy collector Ravindra Khajanchi, district health officer Dr Dipak Selokar, officiating district civil surgeon Dr Dipak Thete, NMC additional chief medical officer Dr Praveen Gantawar, Ashwini Nagar from United Nation Development Programme, Dr Mohammed Sajid from WHO, and IMA president Dr Archana Kothari were present at the meeting.
Thakare did not respond to TOI’s call and message. Guardian minister Nitin Raut refused to comment on Thakare’s statement.
Officials in collector’s office denied receiving any letter from Central or state governments indicating time frame for making the vaccine available.
The officials of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) too have not received any such communication from Centre or state. “NMC received a letter from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) through state government in October directing to prepare list of health care workers for administering vaccine as first priority. Since then, no letter or guidelines have been received related to vaccine,” they said.
According to NMC officials, they are waiting for guidelines regarding storage facilities for the vaccine. “We could not start preparing for storage of vaccines due to lack of guidelines or further orders. We have only identified existing storage capacities which are regularly used for storing vaccines of pulse polio,” said the officials.
The NMC is preparing database of health care workers who would be administered Covid vaccine. Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B had on October 26 written to all government and private hospitals to submit list of doctors, nurses and other staff with documents on or before October 28.
“We have prepared a list of 13,000 health care staff as of now. All government and NMC-run hospitals and dispensaries have submitted the list. But only 209 of 650 private hospitals have submitted the list,” said the officials.
The civic chief on Wednesday held a meeting with NMC officials and doctors to review preparations for vaccine. He said vaccine is set to come soon but avoided mentioning any time frame. He urged private hospitals to submit list of health care workers as soon as possible.