PATNA: Altogether 4,64,160 healthcare workers had been registered across the state till Friday morning to get the Covid-19 vaccines in the first phase beginning on Saturday. Officials said all the 300 vaccination centres were ready for the purpose.
The first phase beneficiaries include 3,72,715 health workers associated with the state government, 7,247 associated with the central government working in Bihar and 84,198 from private healthcare sector. Healthcare workers means all the employees giving their services in a health institute, like sanitation staff, technicians, ambulance drivers, nurses, paramedics and doctors. “Even those working on contract or outsourced by an agency have been included,” said state health department principal secretary Pratyaya Amrit.
He said the state had received 5,49,000 doses of Covishield and 20,000 doses of Covaxin, which were sufficient for the first phase. “Those who are registered on CoWIN will only be vaccinated,” Pratyaya said, adding that the registration for the second phase will begin on January 25.
In the second phase, frontline workers like police personnel, home guard jawans, municipal workers, prison staff and those associated with disaster management will be given the shots. In the third phase, the prioritized age group, which includes those above 50 years and below 50 years with comorbidity like diabetes, hypertension and cancer, will register themselves. The dates for the registration will be announced later.
Those registered can get their queries answered by calling the state control room on 104 or national control room on 1075.
The centres where vaccines will be given include medical college and hospitals and primary health centres. Among them, 259 are public health institutes and 41 private ones. While healthcare workers will be vaccinated in the health institutes they are working while private hospitals and other nursing homes have been tagged.
State health minister Mangal Pandey said Saturday will be an important day for the entire country as the fight against Covid-19 will begin that day. He said, “For a long time, we were in the dark and waiting for a vaccine to protect us from Covid-19. But now the time has come. It is a moment of pride for us that we will be immunized with vaccines produced in our country. Dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become atmanirbhar has come true.”