Assam: Two-day dry run for COVID-19 vaccination programme starts in two districts

GUWAHATI:

A two-day dry run for the COVID-19 vaccination programme began in Nalbari and Sonitpur districts of Assam, on December 28, health department officials said.

Assam is one of the four states in the country where the dry run is being carried out to check the preparedness of the authorities before launching the actual vaccination programme.

The other three states are Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat.

Five hospitals in each of Nalbari and Sonitpur districts have been chosen for the exercise, officials said.

Management of possible adverse events after vaccination and checks on cold storage and transportation arrangements are parts of the dry run, Nalbari Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Nalini Barman said.

A mock exercise for the COVID-19 vaccination programme will begin from December 29 in the five designated hospitals, Barman said.

District Immunisation Officer Dr Hemanta Kumar Das said that the dry run programme will provide insights into gaps or bottlenecks which could be checked out before the commencement of the actual vaccination drive.

In Nalbari district, five sessions of vaccination mock drill will be held at identified locations with 25 pre-identified beneficiaries for each session on Tuesday, he said.

The state surveillance medical officer of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on December 28 visited Nalbari district and held discussions on the exercise with health department officials and the Deputy Commissioner Purabi Konwar.

Altogether 25 frontline medical staff will give a demonstration on the vaccination programme in Sonitpur district on Tuesday, Dr Kishur Gurung of Tezpur Urban Health Centre said.