Vaccination drive: Group D, sanitation staff will get first shot in Karnataka

BENGALURU: The first person to get the jab in Karnataka on the inaugural day of the vaccination programme on January 16 will be a sanitation worker/Group-D employee. This is to recognise the efforts of people on the ground who helped in the fight against Covid-19, according to Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey.

This was mentioned in an internal document related to a meeting held by the Health Department with district deputy commissioners on January 13. The health care workers will include persons above 20 years age, preferably without co-morbidity, on the inaugural day.

“Health workers, including all cadres in the facility, should be vaccinated on the inaugural day. A maximum of 100 beneficiaries per facility on the day of inauguration is planned. The health facility should prepare a list of selected beneficiaries with name and designation and share with district RCH officers,” the document reads.

There are nine categories of health care workers including frontline and ICDS workers, nurses and supervisors, medical officers, paramedical staff, support staff, students, scientists and research staff, clerical and administrative staff and other health staff.

Dry run revealed challenges

Taking note of the observations during the dry run, the document stated that adrenaline vials in anaphylaxis kits were beyond the expiry date at three session sites. At three other sites, vaccinators were not aware of the process to be followed in case of a serious Adverse Event Following Immunization (AE FI). In five sites, vaccination booth members were not trained.

Physical distancing was not ensured in three sites and blue puncture-proof containers were not available in two sites. Ice packs in vaccine carriers were also not conditioned at two sites. The district-wise vaccine distribution plan stats that one health facility will receive only one type of vaccine. The database of frontline workers on the Co-WIN software will be frozen on the midnight of January 25.

Victoria Hospital to open non-Covid services
Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital, will start non-Covid services from Monday, over 10 months after they were closed in March 2020 amidst the pandemic. Dr C R Jayanti, Dean of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), to which Victoria Hospital is affiliated, said, “We will restart services from Monday.”