60,000 cops registered so far to get Covid-19 vaccine shots

The registration and details update drive by the city police for their personnel, who are among the list of front line workers, was started last week following Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement.

Delhi Police on Tuesday said they had completed the registration and updating the personal details of nearly 60,000 personnel of the force so far, with the process for the remaining 20,000 staff likely to be completed in a day or two.

At least 32 Delhi Police personnel have lost their lives due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) since May last year. (AP file photo)

The registration and details update drive by the city police for their personnel, who are among the list of front line workers, was started last week following Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement that the Delhi government had identified 5.1 million people who will be the first to get the Covid-19 vaccine shots under the Central government’s “priority category”.

On December 28, special commissioner of police (operations) Muktesh Chander, who is the Covid-19 nodal officer for Delhi Police, had issued a notice along with the declaration form, asking all police personnel to update their age, mobile numbers and place of posting, apart from details of one or more comorbidities that they may be suffering from.

“The updated data of 70-75 % personnel from various departments has been received so far. We are expecting to complete the entire process by Wednesday. The data is now being uploaded on intraDP, the internal network of the Delhi Police,” said special CP Chander, adding that the compiled list will further be uploaded on the government’s Covid-19 vaccination portal.

About the process of vaccination, the special CP said that the personnel would receive SMS on their registered mobile numbers, asking them to be present at the vaccination centre nearest to their place of posting on the day they are called on.

At least 32 Delhi Police personnel have lost their lives due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) since May last year, while 7,612 personnel in total so far have been infected, show statistics shared by the police department on January 1.

A senior police officer, associated with the drive, said that the registration and update drive was scheduled to be completed by January 3 (Sunday), since the police department already maintains a record of the details of all their staff including their age, mobile numbers and their current place of postings.

“However, the process got delayed because many personnel had changed their mobile numbers and had not got them updated on the main record book maintained by the establishment branch. Such personnel were directed to get their new contact numbers updated immediately,” the officer said.

Officials said that although all police personnel are expected to receive the Covid-19 vaccines, the priority would be given to those above the age of 50 or personnel suffering from one or more comorbid conditions.

“Since the personnel have also been given a declaration form, asking them to mention the comorbidities they are suffering from, the exercise would also help us maintain a database of the health issues of all police staff and decide their nature of job and place of postings accordingly,” said another police officer.

Police step up security arrangements at vaccine centres

Anticipating that people, who are not being included in the first phase of vaccination, may turn up at centres and insist on getting the Covid-19 shots, adequate security arrangements is being put in place. Between 5 and 10 personnel will be deployed at each vaccination centre, depending upon how big the centre is and the number of people arriving there for vaccination, senior officials said.

The city police have already started deploying personnel at the 600 plus vaccines storage centres, where arrangements for storage by the Delhi government is on in full swing. The delivery of the vaccines is yet to commence.

There are 41 such centres in areas falling under the territorial jurisdiction of south district police, while west police district have 85 such centres. Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Delhi’s Tahirpur is the only centre in Shahdara police district.

“As of now two-three personnel remain deployed round-the-clock at each storage centre. The number may be increased once the storage of the vaccines starts. The security arrangements at the vaccination centre would start when the vaccination drive is started,” said deputy commissioner of police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur.

Apart from security personnel from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, the surveillance of vaccine storage and vaccination centres would also be done through CCTV cameras, the officials said.