Dry run of COVID-19 vaccination held in Punjab, govt says fully prepared for inoculation

The Punjab government on Friday successfully conducted a dry run of COVID-19 vaccination and is fully prepared to inoculate its people as and when the vaccine arrives, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said in a statement here.

The dry run was conducted at session sites in district hospitals, medical colleges, private health facilities and urban and rural outreach centres, he said.

"Vaccination dry run has been successful statewide with requisite men and material in place," Sidhu said, adding that simulation of the entire inoculation process was carried out. The staff members were familiarised with all aspects of administering the vaccine, he said.

As many as 25 recipients, five-member vaccination teams and a supervisor per session site took part in the mock drill as per the micro-plan finalised for the programme, he added. Punjab is fully prepared to administer the vaccine as and when it is received, Sidhu said.

"As of now we have 1,000 trained vaccinators and as many as four supporting team members per vaccinator are ready for the job. The state is equipped enough to administer four lakh doses of vaccine per day," he said.

He further said the vaccine would be administered only with the consent of the pre-registered recipients.

In the first phase of vaccination, Sidhu said, 1.6 lakh health workers from private and public facilities would be inoculated followed by frontline corona warriors including police, revenue officials and other field staff and subsequently the elderly and population with comorbidities.

He said he is in touch with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and took up the issue of providing free COVID-19 vaccine to all states with him.

Punjab's COVID-19 caseload stands at 1,68,486. The state has recorded 5,437 deaths due to the disease, according to official data released on Friday. 

(Photo Credit: Twitter/PunjabGovtIndia)