BENGALURU: India, which will be leveraging infrastructure and manpower created under the country’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) for
Covid vaccination, has a network of nearly 82 lakh vaccination session sites routinely used by UIP, one of the largest such programmes in the world.
According to a UIP review and multi-year plan document, there are more than 81.87 lakh sites where different vaccines are administered. However, most of these sites will come into play when inoculation of people other than healthcare and frontline workers starts.
In the first phase of Covid vaccination, multiple officials from
the national health mission (NHM), which is spearheading Covid vaccination, told TOI, states will use only Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and facilities better than PHCs.
Ramaswami N, NHM mission director, Maharashtra said: “As per the instructions, all states will be utilising the UIP network and human resource including BDS doctors and ANMs for Covid vaccination. However, for the first rounds of vaccination — healthcare and frontline workers — only PHCs (public health centres) and facilities above this will become vaccination sites.”
He said more than 18,000 healthcare workers are being trained to inject the vaccine, adding that the actual number of sites are being finalised.
Karnataka immunisation director Dr Rajani N, while stating that GoI instructions are to use only PHCs and facilities above this category, said states are in the process of identifying more sites for the future.
“We have about 10,000 sites but we won’t be using Anganwadi centres and other small sites given the need for social distance during covid vaccination. For the next phase, we may need to use schools and similar facilities that may have adequate space if required,” Rajani said.
The facilities to be used for the first phase will include PHCs, community health centres (CHCs), sub-district hospitals (SDHs), district hospitals (DHs), and other hospitals in towns and cities.
Kiran Bedi, lieutenant governor, Puducherry, while refusing to comment on the guidelines, said: “I want to say that we have a record of 100% immunisation in Puducherry and our grassroot infrastructure is prepared for Covid-19 vaccination.”
As reported by TOI earlier, the
Centre has issued specific guidelines for vaccination sites, each of which would require three independent rooms, one each for waiting, vaccination and observation, and every site will administer about 100 vaccine shots per day.
Senthil Raj, district collector, Tuticorin, who was NHM mission director for
Tamil Nadu until November said: “Just like the cold chains, UIP infrastructure will be utilised for Covid vaccination given that there is availability of experienced manpower. The question of using UIP vaccination sites will arise when the mass drive begins, I think all states are well prepared for vaccination of healthcare and frontline workers.”
Another senior NHM official said the healthcare workers will be administered the vaccines at their respective hospitals or health centres. “Whereever there are less than 100 people, they will be pooled and designated one facility where vaccines will be given,” she said.