As India gears for one of the biggest vaccinations drives in the world, the national capital Delhi will receive first shipment of the much-anticipated vaccine in the last week of December. "The first shipment of the coronavirus vaccine will reach Delhi in December last," sources told India Today TV.
However, there is no certainty about the exact date when people will be administered the COVID-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has identified more than 600 cold chain storage points, beyond training thousands of healthcare staff on technical details to vaccinate people against coronavirus.
Around 609 cold chain points have been identified in Delhi. Cold chain points will be present in major hospitals such as Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, Loknayak Hospital, Kasturba Hospital, Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, GTB Hospital.
Further, 3,500 health workers have been identified in Delhi to carry out the vaccination process. Out of these, 1,800 employees will be stationed at cold chain points. As many as 600 medical officers will be trained to monitor the cold chain points across Delhi.
Dr Sunila Garg of Maulana Azad Medical College, who has been appointed as the public health expert under the vaccination program in Delhi said that the training of all senior officers associated with the immunisation department and senior officers associated with immunisation technical support has been done by the central government.
During the training programme, health workers were informed about the vaccine, and how to administer it during the vaccination drive.
In India, 29,000 cold chain points, 240 walk-in coolers, 70 walk-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 deep freezers and 300 solar refrigerators will be used for COVID-19 vaccine storage.
Training modules for medical officers, vaccinator officers, alternative vaccinator officers, cold chain handlers, supervisors, data managers, and ASHA coordinators are also finalised, and physical training, as well as training on virtual/online platforms, have started for the biggest vaccination drive in the country, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan informed last week.
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