2 Lakh healthcare warriors in Delhi ready for vaccination

New Delhi: When available in the capital, nearly 2 lakhs of health workers will be the first to get vaccinated against Covid – 19. Those aged 60 and above are the next in the pipeline, followed by those who are in the age bracket of 50 – 59 along with comorbidities.

Both from the government and private sectors, the Delhi government is at work preparing the database of healthcare workers who are ready to get a vaccination in the first phase. The union health ministry will soon receive the database.

If sources are to be believed, nearly 1.5 lakh health workers have been registered for the vaccination program by the mid of November. To further accomplish the process, the Delhi government has asked all the registered as well as the unregistered healthcare facilities in the city to enlist their workers by Saturday midnight. Nearly 2 lakhs of people have been enrolled for vaccination in the completed list, the source added.

The healthcare workers are inclusive of medical, paramedical, supporting, security, sanitation, and administrative staff of all allopathic, dental, Ayush, physiotherapy clinics, diagnostic laboratories, radiology centers, and other healthcare settings.

Vijay Dev, Delhi chief secretory along with the senior officials reviewed the enrolment exercise on Thursday and was quite satisfied with the progress.

From the hospitals run by the government and the private hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities, the Delhi government shall submit the database of the personnel. The central government-run – hospitals and dispensaries shall be submitting the database of the human resources to the Union government based on the mechanism given to them.

For the introduction of the Covid -19 vaccine in the near future, the Delhi government will make use of the existing cold chain system in the city that are used for the regular immunization programs, besides the supply and distribution chain.

ASHA and the anganwadi workers mainly aid in the process of vaccination and immunization in Delhi, while for the purpose of introducing the Covid – 19 vaccine, ANMs and other healthcare workers are being taken into consideration.

Cold storage facilities such as the large cold storage center at Delhi government’s Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital are showing keen interest, as reported by an official.