Covid-19 Vaccination: Odisha Conducts Second Phase Dry Run

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday conducted the second phase dry run of Covid-19 vaccination at a total of 110 centres across all the 30 districts and municipal corporations of the State, informed Director of State Health and Family Welfare Department, Bijay Panigrahi.

The mock drill is meant to test the mechanisms and reveal the possible gaps in the system ahead of the actual vaccination drive in the country as well as the State.

The dry run started at 9 AM continued till 12 PM and at least 25 health workers got dummy vaccines at each site during the exercise, added Panigrahi.

The exercise was carried out at one Sub-Divisional Hospital (SDH) or Community Health Centre (CHC) of each district, all the Medical College and Hospitals, one Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) and Urban Community Health Centres (UCHC) in each district.

Apart from this, the dry run was carried out in as many as 11 private hospitals across the State, said Panigrahi.

In Rourkela Municipal Corporation, the dry run is being held at three places -- Rourkela Government Hospital, Koelnagar UPHC, and JP Hospital, said reports.

Explaining the procedure to be adopted during the vaccination drive, the Additional Director of Urban Public Health of Rourkela, Dr Pushpamitra Mishra said, "We have prepared a list of the persons who have been identified for the vaccination. At first, the identified frontline workers will stand in queue while maintaining physical distancing following which they will be sent to waiting space. Then, they will have to enroll themselves at the registration desk from where they will sent for the vaccination shot," she said.

"After the administration of vaccine, the concerned person will be kept under observation for 30 minutes and if any medical urgency is observed after the immunisation, s/he will be immediately given Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) kit," added Mishra.

Odisha had carried out a similar exercise successfully in 31 places on January 2, when the first nationwide dry run was held.

(Edited by Suryakant Jena)