News Analysis India

Tag: UP covid vaccine dry run

  • Second dry run for COVID-19 vaccine held amid tight security in UP’s Gautam Buddh Nagar

    By PTI
    NOIDA: The second ‘dry run’ for COVID-19 vaccination was conducted in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district on Monday at 75 centers amid tight security, officials said.

    The first dry run (or the mock drill) for the vaccination had taken place at six centres – three rural and three urban — in the district on January 5.

    “The dry run was conducted successfully at 75 vaccination centres in Gautam Buddh Nagar by the health and the police departments,” according to a police statement.

    “Any shortcomings highlighted during the dry runs are being identified and corrected,” the statement added.

    Four health department officials and two security personnel from the police department were deployed at each vaccination centre, according to the statement.

    “A District Vaccine Store (DVS) has been created in the district and 10 police officials, including a sub-inspector, a head constable and eight constables, have been put on security duty to take the vaccine safely to the eight cold chain points (CCPs) in the district. Armed personnel from reserved police lines have also been deployed at the CCP,” it stated.

    Besides, local police stations had deployed a sub-inspector and two constables at vaccination centres in their area, it added.

    The dry run on Monday was held at 1,500 centres in Uttar Pradesh, where the vaccination drive is scheduled to begin from January 16, according to state government officials.

  • UP: ‘Covid vaccine’ transported on bicycle in Varanasi during dry run

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Amidst the ongoing dry run for COVID-19 vaccination in Uttar Pradesh, a strange incident cropped up in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi wherein the COVID-19 vaccine was transported to a hospital on a bicycle.

    The incident was reported from Women’s Hospital located at Chaukaghat area of Varanasi where an employee was seen carrying the corona vaccine on a bicycle.

    In UP, the dry run for the vaccine was conducted across 75 districts. However, no vaccine was administered to anyone during the dry run. In Varanasi, it was conducted at six places, wherein, 25 persons were identified to participate at each centre.

    However, the sources in the CMO office claimed that the vaccine was transported to five centres with the help of a van. Only at the Women’s hospital, the vaccine was brought on a bicycle. The arrangement for transportation of vaccine raised questions on the preparedness of the Varanasi district administration.

    This happened despite CM Yogi Adityanath’s directives to the officials to keep extra checks on safe storage of vaccines, maintenance of cold chain and smooth transportation.

    Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed that the dry run should be done with full sincerity and commitment to strengthening the COVID vaccination system in the entire state. He himself had embarked upon a surprise visit to RML Institute of Medical Sciences in state capital Lucknow to check the preparedness for the vaccination drive to be undertaken shortly.

    The dry run for the vaccination was conducted at KGMU, PGI, Ram Manohar Lohia Institute, Ram Sagar Mishra Hospital, Lok Bandhu Hospital in Lucknow. It was also conducted at Mal, Indira Nagar, Kakori Community Health Center, Sahara Hospital, Medanta Hospital and Era Medical College in Lucknow.

    Officials said that in the mock drill, six centres – three each in rural and urban areas– in each district tested for various protocols and standard operating procedures. Systems like ambulance network, rapid response teams, call centres and verification, etc were tested.

    Sources hinted that the vaccination drive may begin on the National Youth Day (January 12) to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. This leaves the state with about a week’s time to the D-day. Health minister Jai Pratap Singh also reviewed preparations. “UP is set to launch one of the biggestvaccination campaigns. The dry run will help us in fine-tuning the process further,” said the minister.