Bhubaneswar: All the necessary preparations are in place for conducting the much-awaited Covid-19 vaccine dry run programme in Odisha tomorrow (January 2).
Directorate of Medical Education & Training (DMET) Director Prof CBK Mohanty on Friday said that the Covid-19 vaccine dry run is part of the nation-wide exercise to keep all infrastructure in place so that the programme is conducted without any glitches ahead of the mass vaccination drive.
According to Mohanty, 3.70 lakh beneficiaries mostly doctors and other healthcare workers have enrolled for the Covid-19 in the first phase.
The Central Government had earlier asked all States and UTs to ensure effective preparedness for the vaccine roll out.
The objective of the Dry Run for COVID-19 vaccine introduction is to assess operational feasibility in the use of Co-WIN application in field environment, to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges and guide way forward prior to actual implementation. This is also expected to give confidence to programme managers at various levels.
The States/UTs have been asked to ensure physical verification of all proposed sites for adequacy of space, logistical arrangements, internet connectivity, electricity, safety and other measures.
In its directive, the Health Ministry has asked States to prepare at least three model session sites in each State (at State capital) for demonstration and ensure that the Model Sites have separate entry and exit in a ‘three-room set-up’ with adequate space outside for awareness generation activities.
Around 96,000 vaccinators have been trained for this purpose across the country. 2,360 participants have been trained in National Training of Trainers and over 57,000 participants trained in District level training in 719 districts. States are augmenting the State helpline 104 (which shall be used in addition to 1075) for any vaccine/software related query, the Health Ministry informed.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)