Delhi has begun the gigantic task of training health care workers for the Covid-19 vaccination drive as the country eyes the rollout of the vaccines after they get quick approval from the drug regulator. Around 3,500 health workers have been identified in Delhi to carry out the vaccination process.
According to the Delhi government, 1.8 lakh to 2.25 lakh health care workers will get immunised in the first phase of the drive, for which 609 cold chain points have been identified in all the top hospitals and Mohalla clinics.
Dr Suneela Garg of Maulana Azad Medical College, who has been appointed as Delhi’s public health expert under the coronavirus vaccination programme said, "The training drive started on Monday. Today is the second day of the training. Initially, 3,500 workers will be trained in Delhi.”
She said, "Key people like state immunisation officer and immunisation technical support unit of United Nations Development Programme have already been trained by the Centre and they have begun the state-level training in Delhi.”
According to the central government's latest guidelines, health care personnel, including state and district programme managers, medical officers, vaccinator officers, information, education and communication officers, cold chain handlers, supervisors, data managers, ASHA workers, and Mahila Arogya Samitis will be engaged in the vaccination process through cascaded training.
The training sessions will be interactive and use methodologies such as PowerPoint presentations, instructive videos, roleplays, exercises and interactive discussions. In the training, they will be apprised about vaccine safety, line-listing of beneficiaries, monitoring, vaccine logistics management and use of digital application Co-WIN.
Dr Garg, who is also the public health advisor to ICMR, informed that various categories of staff will be deployed at the vaccination site. Vaccinator officers will be responsible for the vaccination of the beneficiaries which will MBBS, BDS, AYUSH doctors, pharmacists, nurses, auxiliary midwife and medical interns.
Vaccination officer-1 will be tasked with checking the registration status of beneficiaries, while vaccination officer-2 will verify documents and officer-3 and 4 will be assigned to manage the crowd, monitor any adverse events, and guide non-registered beneficiaries.
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"We have to see that there is no myth and misconception. So, medical officers and nurses will be giving the vaccine, the rest of them will be doing other activities. It will be moving in an election mode," she added.
About eight Covid vaccine candidates are under various stages of clinical trials which could be ready for authorisation in the coming future.