PANAJI
The State Level Steering Committee set up by the state government for streamlining Covid vaccination program in advance had its first meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting was chaired by the Chief Secretary and was attended by other secretaries, official members, government health experts and members of civil society including presidents of Global Rotary International and Lions Club, SMO (World Health Organisation) and chairperson of Goa State Pollution Control Board.
During the meeting, the Health Secretary made a powerpoint presentation and briefed on necessary steps to be taken to prepare the state for a vaccination programme.
It was disclosed that a special national-level digital platform “Co-WIN” is being created to capture the data.
As a part of the preparations, both the Collectors had been tasked with data collection and the data collected from public health facilities and the health workers will be uploaded on the portal along with the data from private medical facilities and their health workers.
Cold chain maintenance and storage facilities, transport of vaccine, syringes availability, adequate and suitable vaccine administration personnel and location for vaccination while respecting the cold chain are the other important aspects that are also being analysed.
The existing cold chain management will need to be strengthened with the help of the Government of India and locally available resources to ensure safe delivery of vaccines to the remotest areas for administering to the targeted population well in time. To drive these efforts, taluka level committees will be formed by Collectors and the government to cover the entire population.
As per guidelines of Government of India, first priority would be given to the healthcare workers from government and private sectors and frontline workers. Both the Collectors are preparing these lists of health workers in coordination with IMA, IAP, associations of private hospitals, nursing homes clinics and others.
The Health Secretary requested the members of the civil society and others present in the meeting to inform the private medical practitioners to come forward and get themselves registered as soon as possible and not later than December 6, 2020.
The data received thereafter will also be accommodated but the Department may be unable to project the exact requirements for this target group to the central government. Thereafter, these healthcare workers from government as well as private sector could also be tasked with the work of vaccinators.
The next meeting of the steering committee is expected to be convened shortly to review the preparatory actions of the state, district and taluka level monitoring committees.
