Ranchi: In a bid to improve the coverage in the state, the health department decided to make Covid-19 Vaccination Centres (CVC) more accessible for the rural population by launching one centre at each panchayat. A special vaccination drive will also be launched for the purpose in three phases on March 20-21, March 23-24 and March 26-27.
The special drive is aimed at covering eligible beneficiaries who are unable to travel to CVCs situated far off from their homes. A letter in this regard was issued by state health secretary K K Soan asking all deputy commissioners to complete all necessary arrangements before the special drive is initiated. Soan also asked them to submit details of required manpower by Wednesday.
The letter also asked deputy commissioners to submit details of all selected CVCs in their district and to fulfil the requirement which was sent to them as a micro plan from the state’s NHM unit.
As per the micro plan, each district is supposed to furnish the location details of the selected CVC from each panchayat. The DCs have also been directed to make arrangements as per Union government’s protocols at the selected CVCs which include vaccination, observation rooms and facilities for management of adverse events following immunization (AEFI).
The districts have also been asked to deploy trained vaccinators and data entry operators and the details of same have to be submitted by March 17. The plan also directed the district authorities to identify eligible beneficiaries and complete the registration by March 18.
In order to create awareness among the rural population about the special vaccination drive the health department has also directed district administrations to publicise the locations of the CVCs three days prior to the launch. The block level officials in co-ordination with the welfare department have been asked to carry out the Information Education and Communication and to provide mobility support to elderly beneficiaries.
On being contacted, nodal officer for the vaccination drive in the state, Dr Ajit Prasad said, “We have roped in social welfare and officials of the rural development department in order to mobilise more and more beneficiaries to the CVCs. We are on the last stages of completing the training of data entry operators so that there isn’t any glitch during the drive and a larger population in rural areas is covered.”