COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Gujarat: To be administered in 4 stages, database being prepared, says CM

Gujarat will administer the COVID-19 vaccine in four stages and a database is being prepared for the same, said Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. According to Rupani, healthcare workers will be given top priority and they will be administered the vaccine in the first phase. Corona warriors, people who are above 50 years and those below 50 years with comorbidities will be administered vaccines in the second, third, and fourth stages respectively. There are around 3.9 lakh healthcare workers in the state. Out of this, 2.7 lakh doctors, nurses, lab technicians are on government duty and the other 1.25 lakh are working with private hospitals and are engaged in COVID duty.

The chief minister also said that the government is working on the infrastructure required for the storage of the vaccine. “We have put together a proper cold chain infrastructure for the storage of vaccine,” the chief minister said. Police along with others involved indirectly in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic will be given second priority.

According to the chief minister, people who will be vaccinated will be notified in advance through SMS. They will be provided information like the date, time, and place. He also said that 2,189 Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres will have permanent refrigeration facilities for vaccines and the Centre has provided 150 ice-lined refrigerators.

Earlier, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that all the details of beneficiaries of the first and second stage have been collected and the priority list of the third stage is being prepared.

Patel said that 47,796 vaccination centers have already been identified in Gujarat where people will be administered the vaccine and 15,534 teams will be deployed for this. MA Pandya, Mission Director of the National Health Mission, has been appointed as Nodal Officer to supervise the entire process.