Centre asks states to identify healthcare workers to carry out COVID-19 inoculation drive

Centre has asked states to identify healthcare workers, including doctors, pharmacists as well as MBBS and BDS interns, who will carry out a COVID-19 iculation drive once a vaccine is available.

Centre in its letter to states and UTs has said MBBS and BDS doctors as well as interns, staff nurses, auxiliary nurse midwives and pharmacists would be considered as potential vaccinators, for carrying out drive, provided that y are actively involved in day-to-day provision of clinical care and have experience in ministering injections.

"Furr, states may also consider retired personnel from above mentioned categories, as applicable, that may be utilised to meet demand for vaccinators," letter written on vember 23 by ditional Secretary, Union Health Ministry, Vandana Gurnani said.

According to Union Health Ministry officials, anti-coronavirus vaccine, once available, would be distributed under a special COVID-19 iculation programme, using processes, techlogy and network of existing Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). It would run parallel to UIP.

letter said government has initiated preparations for introduction of COVID-19 vaccine upon its availability and as part of it, one of activities is creation of a database of healthcare workers who will be prioritised for coronavirus vaccine.

This database will be uploed on COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoVIN), it said. It is reiterated that potential vaccinators among healthcare workers need to be identified for support during COVID-19 vaccination drive, letter stated.

"You are kindly requested to direct concerned officials to ensure identification of mentioned potential vaccinators in database of healthcare workers being created for uplo on CoVIN software. Appropriate training of potential vaccinators will be carried out before utilising m for COVID-19 vaccination drives.

"You are requested to kindly identify pool of potential vaccinators which will be available once COVID-19 vaccine is available as per list shared," letter re.

According to sources, around one crore frontline healthcare workers, including doctors, MBBS students, nurses and ASHA workers among ors been identified who will be given COVID-19-vaccine whenever it becomes available.

It may be mentioned here that Indian Medical Association (IMA) has offered services of its over three lakh members in COVID-19 iculation programme of government, once a vaccine is available, and also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to effectively use its trained manpower for this ble cause.

Union Health Ministry has also asked states to conduct planning and mapping of vaccination sessions where healthcare workers will be vaccinated during first phase. Mapping human resources across departments could be deployed for vaccination sessions for verification of beneficiaries, crowd manment and overall coordination. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan h earlier said a COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be available by first quarter of 2021.

He h said Centre estimates to receive and utilise 40-50 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine covering around 25 crore people by July next year.  " prioritisation of groups for COVID-19 vaccine shall be based on two key considerations -- occupational hazard and risk of exposure to infection, and risk of developing severe disease and increased mortality," he h said. 

(Photo Credit: Twitter/drharshvardhan)