BENGALURU: From making Covid shots available in Left extremists-affected areas to managing crowds at vaccination sites, and lending cold chain facilities to ensuring undisrupted power supply, at least 19 ministries and 23 different departments other than the health ministry will play specific roles to ensure smooth vaccine rollout across the country.
According to the ministry of health and family welfare, several ministries and departments are presently converging to support the vaccination drive, under the guidance of the
National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 .
In its SOP, the health ministry has mentioned that coordination mechanisms at the national, state, district and block levels have already been defined. At least four departments - urban development, revenue, PWD, public health engineering - have been told to help with the identification of Covid vaccination sites. Although India has over 82 lakh sites, all are not suitable for Covid vaccination because of the mandatory requirement of social distancing. "Wherever possible, sites part of the universal immunisation programme (UIP) will be utilised," an official said.
As part of the UIP, India has more than 28,900 cold chain points and over 85,000 equipment. The health ministry has been reiterating the need to augment the network, for which the departments of animal husbandry and food and civil supplies have now been roped in.
While the food and civil supplies department will "support in providing cold storage spaces and transport systems, if needed", the animal husbandry department will help ensure "dedicated cold storage equipment/facilities."
The PWD, rural & urban development and public health engineering departments, among others, will look at the logistics, including drinking water supply at vaccination sites, preparation of sites, etc.