GUWAHATI/AGARTALA/IMPHAL: A drill for vaccination against coronavirus was conducted on Saturday in all eight north-eastern states, as part of the nationwide drill across the country, officials said.
The first such drill was held on December 28 and 29 in two north-western districts of Assam — Sonitpur and Nalbari — along with many districts in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Gujarat.
According to health officials, the vaccination drill was held in Kamrup Metro district of Assam, apart from at least two districts each in other north-eastern states.
Assam’s National Health Mission (NHM) Director Lakshmanan S said that the dry run was a success at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Sonapur Civil Hospital, and Khanapara State Dispensary.
“The aim is to find out our preparations for the actual drive and to plug any loopholes in the system before the vaccine is administered to the people,” the NHM officer told IANS on phone.
In Tripura, NHM Director Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal said that the drill was carried out at the Indira Gandhi Memorial State Hospital in Agartala and two primary health centres in west Tripura district.
In Manipur, NHM state nodal officer RK Rosie said that the drill went ahead without any problem at five locations each in Imphal West and Thoubal districts.
“Besides a medical college in Imphal, the drill was conducted in district and primary health centres and a private hospital,” Rosie said.
In Meghalaya, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner and Secretary Sampath Kumar said that the dry run was conducted in the districts of East Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills.
“The central government’s protocols were followed for this dry run,” he said.
In Mizoram, 25 volunteers participated in the drill at two primary health centres at ITI Urban Public Health Centre in Aizawl East health district and Chawlhhmun PHC in Aizawl West health district.
All arrangements for the drill were made by the Mizoram Directorate of Health Services as per the guidelines of National Expert Group on Vaccination of Covid-19.
In Nagaland, the vaccination drill was held at the School of Nursing at the Dimapur district hospital.
Apart from staff of designated vaccination centres, a select group of healthcare workers as test vaccine beneficiaries were involved in the dry run. Each centre will identify 25 beneficiaries for the drill.
According to health officials, the drill would help ensure a hitch-free phase one of corona vaccination drive. Co-WIN app developed specially for the vaccination drive too was tested in the field.
IANS