Delhi govt to vaccinate all residents free of cost, says health minister Satyendar Jain

“The Delhi government already provides free medicines and treatment to residents of the city. The vaccine against Covid-19 will also be provided free of cost to the people of Delhi, once it arrives,” said Jain while talking to reporters.

The Delhi government on Saturday said that not only health care and front line workers — as announced by the Central government — but all residents of the city, who are eligible, will get the Covid-19 vaccines for free.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain speaks to media during a press conference, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI)

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain, who inspected the dry run of the vaccination process at a government primary health care centre in Daryaganj on Saturday, said the state administration aims to vaccinate around one lakh people every day once the drive begins.

“The Delhi government already provides free medicines and treatment to residents of the city. The vaccine against Covid-19 will also be provided free of cost to the people of Delhi, once it arrives,” said Jain while talking to reporters.

Jain’s announcement is slightly different from the one made by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan, who said the Covid shots will be free for the most prioritised beneficiaries —one crore health care and two crore front line workers. Officials in Delhi’s health department said the government is planning to give the vaccines for free also to senior citizens and those with co-morbidities during the first phase.

The Delhi government so far has identified 51 lakh people who will be the first ones to get the Covid-19 vaccine shots, as part of the Central government’s “priority category”. Of the 51 lakh people, three lakh health care workers— such as doctors, nurses, paramedic staff and so on — will be the first ones to get the vaccine doses. This will be followed by 6 lakh frontline workers which include police, civil defence volunteers and municipal workers. Next, in line will be 42 lakh people who are either 50 years or above in age or are below 50 years age but have co-morbid conditions.

Final lists of beneficiaries in all these categories is still being prepared by authorities, a senior government official said. The Delhi Police have already started sending test SMSes to its personnel, who fall in the second category of those who will be vaccinated, as part of the vaccination program.

Jain said the Delhi government has completed all arrangements from storage to administering the vaccines.

“We will set up 1,000 vaccination centres across Delhi. Largely, centres will be set up in three types of institutions - government hospitals, private hospitals and dispensaries. The purpose of conducting the dry run today at three different types of centres was to review the system set up in each of these categories. The system in Delhi is flawless,” he said.

Explaining about the vaccination process, the state health minister said monitoring stations will also be set up in all centres.

“At a time, only 10 persons will be given entry into the centre so that all norms of social distancing are followed. When the vaccination is done, the person will be put under observation for 30 minutes. Every centre has been linked to a nearest hospital. In case any patient shows any kind of discomfort, an emergency room has been set up,” Jain said.

Apart from 1,000 centres where people will get vaccinated, the government has also identified and readied 621 vaccine stores, most of which will also act as centres. The list of these vaccine stores, seen by HT, showed that almost all the major government dispensaries, primary healthcare centres, hospitals (both government and private), maternity and child welfare (MCW) centres and polyclinics will be storage and vaccination centres.

Delhi Police, on its part, also said that they have chalked out an elaborate plan for smooth transportation of Covid-19 vaccines as they arrive in India. After a recent meeting with the commissioner of police, the operations branch of the Delhi police issued an order apprising its personnel about the arrangements that need to be put in place.

The order, seen by HT, said, “Proper security arrangements at the airport will have to be made. Police Control Room (PCR) vans will escort these vaccines to primary, then secondary and finally to territory stores. All possible assistance by traffic police should be provided. Local police should make round the clock security arrangements at the storage sites.”

The document further read that adequate police arrangements by local police should also be made at session sites, where the vaccine will be given and that the Central Police Control Room should promptly respond to any call for help from any of the cold storage point or vaccination session site and pass on the information to the PCR vans as well as local police, traffic police and any other agency, as the case may be. The district deputy commissioners of police have also been told to maintain close coordination with district magistrates in this regard.

“Since there will be limited availability of the vaccine in the initial phases, round-the-clock arrangement for the security of cold chain points at all locations will be made. While access to cold chain rooms will be restricted to authorised personnel only, the vehicles carrying the Covid-19 vaccine between districts and states will be sealed before leaving the cold chain point and will be opened only in front of the facility in-charge,” said a senior Delhi police officer.