CHANDIGARH:
Punjab, on Friday, conducted the
second dry run for Covid-19
vaccination roll-out at three sites, including a
district hospital, private health facility and health centre in rural area in each district. Participants of the mock drill were 25 beneficiaries, a five-member vaccination team and a supervisor per session site.
Interacting with mediapersons after the dry run at the district hospital in Phase VI of Mohali, Punjab health minister
Balbir Singh Sidhu said the dry run was “successful across the state”. “Simulation of the entire inoculation process was conducted and the staff was made familiar with all the aspects of the actual administration of the
vaccine. All logistics have been worked out and we are good to go,” said Sidhu.
He said 1,000 trained vaccinators and four supporting team members per vaccinator were ready for the job. “The state is equipped enough to administer four lakh doses of the vaccine per day,” said the minister. The state government aims to provide vaccine to a target population of about 70 lakh in a phased manner for free.
The minister said the vaccine would be administered only with the consent of pre-registered recipient/beneficiary. In the first phase of vaccination, 1.6 lakh healthcare workers from private and public facilities will be inoculated, followed by frontline corona warriors, including the police, revenue officials and other field staff. Thereafter, elderly population with co-morbidities will be vaccinated.
Sidhu said he was in touch with the Union health minister and was pressing for provision of the vaccine to all states free of cost.