Ahead Of the Mass Immunization Plan Against Covid-19, BMC Begins Vaccine Training

On Monday, the civic body completed training of about 70 master trainers which included 12 senior doctors from medical colleges, 16 from peripheral hospitals, and 24 Assistant Medical Officers (AMO).

(Image: AFP)

As the Union Government is getting ready for the largest vaccination drives in the world against the Covid-19 disease, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to train 6,182 vaccinators in Mumbai till the first week of January. On Monday, the civic body completed training of about 70 master trainers which included 12 senior doctors from medical colleges, 16 from peripheral hospitals, and 24 Assistant Medical Officers (AMO). According to the training plan, the 24 AMOs will further train 210 health post-AMOs and 170 Public Health Nurses. The health post staff and immunization officers will then train 3,500 CHVs and ASHA workers, 550 Auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), and 200 coordinators. It is also worth mentioning the health workers are also being trained for the Co-Win application, which is developed by the Union Government. Pre-registrations for vaccines will be done through the Co-Win platform. On-the-spot registration will not be allowed. "People will have to register online and they will get a message with assigned date and time. They will have to show that message. Then, the person will verify their ID proof and the first dose [of Covid-19 vaccine] will be given. After this, they will be kept under observation for half an hour. The person will be informed through a message that the first dose has been given and booster dose date will be assigned," Dr Sheela Jagptap, Assistant Health Officer, Immunization Program told the media. Apart from the immunization training, the staff will also be given lessons on cold-chain management, vaccine logistics, and will be trained on how to plan a session for the vaccine shot. It has been mandated by the vaccine carriers to maintain temperature up to 2-8 degrees. According to Suresh Kakani Additional Municipal Commissioner, every single Covid-19 vaccine shot will be assisted by a team of five people including a doctor and if a person shows allergies during the observation period, he will be treated at a designated center. As the country is gearing up for the mass vaccination drive, three phases have been planned for the vaccinations in which healthcare workers will be immunized in the first phase, workers like policemen in the second, and senior citizens and co-morbid citizens above the age of 50 will be vaccinated in the third phase.