Kerala Ready For Successful COVID-19 Vaccination Drive, Sets Up 133 Centres

Thiruvananthapuram: After the announcement of a date for the COVID-19 vaccination drive by the Centre, an action plan has been prepared f or the successful implementation of the vaccine in the state, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said on Sunday (January 10). “The Department of Health has formulated an action plan to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine is delivered soon after arriving and that the vaccination is successful. During the launch, as many as 133 centres will be set up for COVID-19 vaccination in the state,” Ms Shailaja said.

She added that more centres will be set up in the future later and the highest number of centres have been set up in Ernakulam district.

Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccination To Start In India On January 16; 3 Crore Healthcare, Frontline Workers To Get Shots First

There will be 12 centres in Ernakulam district and 11 centres each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode districts. The remaining districts will have 9 centers each. All types of institutions including government sector allopathic-AYUSH and private hospitals will be included,” the Minister added.

She informed that the vaccine would be available to all types of staff, including doctors, nurses and other staff in the health sector.

Also Read: As India Gears Up To Kick-starts COVID-19 Vaccination Drive From January 16, Expert Explains When Will The Common Man Get The Vaccine

Arrangements are being made to vaccinate 100 people a day at one centre. Each centre will have a waiting area, vaccination room and observation room. Centres will be set up in compliance with COVID-19 standards, she said.

The vaccination drive will be the responsibility of district collectors and the control room will be set up to coordinate vaccination activities in the districts, she informed.

Also Read: Government Places Purchase Order With Serum Institute For 11 Million Doses Of Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine

The cold storage network is fully equipped. In case of damage to the cold storage, a replacement system will be installed immediately. Employees are being trained at the district and block level. The task force will meet in all the districts to evaluate the activities and report to the health department.

As many as 3,58,574 people have registered for the COVID-19 vaccination. The dry run was conducted in 52 centres in the state in two phases. While the first phase was conducted on January 4, the second phase was on January 8.

Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Race: Where They Stand Currently

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.