State conducts dry run for COVID vaccination
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 02 2021: In line with the Union Health Ministry's decision to carry out dry run for COVID-19 vaccination across all States and Union Territories of the country, a trial or dry run was conducted at RIMS, Shija Hospital, Thoubal district hospital and other centres across Imphal West and Thoubal districts today.

Health Director Dr K Rajo, informing the development during a weekly press briefing, said that necessary measures to start vaccination in the State have been initiated.

As a part of the preparation, dry run was conducted at RIMS, Shija Hospital, PHC Mekola, PHC Kakwa and CHC Sekmai in Imphal West district and Thoubal district hospital; Urban PHC, Thoubal; Community Health Centre, Yairipok; Primary Health Centre, Lilong and Primary Health Centre, Lamding in Thoubal district today, he informed.

State conducts dry run for COVID vaccination

He said that the dry run was conducted to assess the feasibility of widespread vaccination programme and the requisite linkage between planning and execution.

On the new virus strain scare, the Health Director said that the State Health Department has upped the ante by deploying additional officials to ensure effective screening of passengers from the UK as well as all those people who reached the State via connected flights from the UK.

The sample of the UK returnee who tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back has been collected at JNIMS VRDL Laboratory and already sent to NIV, Pune to ascertain whether it was the new strain of the contagion, he said while adding that RT PCR test were also conducted on 23 persons including 12 co-passengers, family members and neighbours of the returnee.

Their results however returned negative, he said.

He further said that an institutional quarantine has been set up at RD Wing Lamphelpat to accommodate those infected by the new COVID strain and necessary arrangements have been made to ensure UK returnees undergo home isolation.

Expressing relief on the declining rate of COVID positive cases, Rajo said that the overall seropositivity rate of the State was 11 per cent according to the first sero-surveillance report.

He also reminded all the need for observation of physical distance of 6 feet, compulsory use of face mask and regular hand sanitization to successfully contain the spread of COVID-19.Dr Th Nabakishore, State Nodal Officer (Immunization), who was also present at the briefing, said that the State has set a target of vaccinating 42,638 people in the first phase.

The number of vaccine doses allotted to the State for the first phase is 46,000, he said while adding that the target has been increased and is likely to be increased further.

Almost all preparation has been made to start vaccination but there are some issues regarding PIN codes which do not match with the home districts and this would hinder uploading of details on a portal.

Storage facility for COVID vaccine is also a big concern.

Nonetheless, 126 cold chain points including one at Behiang have been prepared to facilitate adequate storage space, he said.

The Union Government is set to add more cold chain points in the State, he said while continuing that 12 vaccine vans for use in immunisation programmes have been arranged.

Additional Director (Public Health and State Epidemiologist) Dr Tomcha Khuman, in the meantime informed that the concerned Ministry had laid down SOP and relevant measures have been taken up in view of UK-India flight service to be resumed from January 8 till January 31 .

He further mentioned that surveillance teams have been constituted in every State in addition to inter-State surveillance teams to track passengers from the UK or passengers returning via the UK.

These teams are in constant touch with one another and thus there is no chance for UK returnees to evade the screening, he said.

In the meantime, the dry run conducted at various centres in Thoubal was assessed by State Health Mission Director N Shyamjai; DC Thoubal, N Bandana; CMO Thoubal, Dr N Jayentakumar; Medical Superintendent District Hospital Thoubal, Dr Ch Memcha; District Family Welfare Officer Thoubal, Dr Ksh Memcha.

Dr Shyamjai, speaking to media persons, said that the preparedness at these centres in Thoubal was commendable.

"If the final or the real run goes as smoothly as today's dry run, then Thoubal district is apparently ready for vaccination," he said.

Each centre was divided into three distinguished areas viz- waiting, vaccination and observation during today's dry run which saw 25 candidates (each centre) undergoing vaccination rehearsal, reports our correspondent.

DC Thoubal, N Bandana, meanwhile said that 3034 healthcare workers of Thoubal will be vaccinated first as soon as the vaccine arrives.