In Delhi, approximately two lakh healthcare workers will get vaccinated first as soon as a vaccine for COVID-19 is available in the city. In the following phase, those individuals aged 60 years or above would get vaccinated and then followed by those in the 50-59 age bracket having comorbidities.Delhi government has been making a database of healthcare workers, from the government as well as private sectors, who will get COVID-19 vaccination in the 1st phase. The database will soon be submitted to the union health ministry.As per the sources, almost 1.5 lakh healthcare workers have enrolled for the immunization programme by mid-November. To accelerate the process, the Delhi government has directed all the registered and unregistered healthcare facilities in the city to make a list of their workers by Saturday midnight. The complete list of those workers who have enrolled for vaccination is approximately two lakhs.The healthcare workers included are medical, paramedical, security, supporting, sanitation, and administrative staff of all allopathic, dental, Ayush, diagnostic laboratories, physiotherapy clinics, radiology centres and other healthcare settings. Delhi’s chief secretary, Vijay Dev, reviewed the enrolment process with senior officials on Thursday and was satisfied with the present progress.As the Delhi government will be submitting the database of staff from the government and private hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities, the central government-run hospitals and dispensaries are also submitting details of their human resources to the Union government as per to the procedure provided to them.Delhi government would be using the existing cold chain system for regular immunisation programmes, besides the supply and distribution chain for introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming future.The procedure of vaccination in Delhi will be mostly carried out with the help of ASHA and anganwadi workers. For the introduction of COVID-19 vaccine, ANMs and other healthcare staff are going to be roped in.The official said the new cold storage facilities, as a large storage centre at Delhi government’s Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital, will also set up soon.

Source : ET Health world