Delhi: 1,101 teams, vaccine shots to 1 lakh people daily

New Delhi: Apart from setting up 1,000 vaccination centres, Delhi government would be scaling the number of teams to 1,101 to inoculate one lakh people daily.

The drive in Delhi will start from vaccination centres set up in major government and private hospitals. This will help ensure availability of not only adequate space, but also a robust health infrastructure for a smooth vaccination programme.

Apart from the infrastructure, the teams of healthcare workers and other personnel would also play a major role in carrying out this massive exercise, which would percolate to the local dispensary level in the coming days.

South West district is expected to see the inoculation of nearly six lakh people in the first phase at 123 sites, both the highest in the city. It would also see eventual deployment of the most number of teams in any district at 135. On the other hand, North East district, where over three lakh people would be vaccinated in the first phase at 65 sites, would have the least number of teams at 71.

Dr Suneela Garg, director and professor in department of community medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi, and a public health expert who is a part of the vaccination programme, said each team would have 8-9 members, but the minimum number should be five. “The members of the teams, including doctors and healthcare workers, can streamline the system and also help in the case of an adverse event. However, the chances of anyone developing an adverse effect is rare. A separate area for monitoring people who have been administered the vaccine in the presence of healthcare workers or volunteers will generate confidence,” said Garg.

As the vaccination of such a large section of the population across the country is a mammoth exercise, to say the least, emphasis has been given on proper training of vaccinators and other personnel involved in the process.