Vaccination of Gurugram’s front-line workers to start

The district health department will start the second phase of Covid-19 vaccinations with the inoculation of front-line workers — Gurugram police personnel, employees of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), and revenue department staff — on Thursday

The district health department will start the second phase of Covid-19 vaccinations with the inoculation of front-line workers — Gurugram police personnel, employees of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), and revenue department staff — on Thursday.

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At least 1,100 front-line workers are likely to be covered on the first day, including at least 500 sanitation staff from the MCG, 500 police personnel deployed at borders and at least 100 revenue department staffers who have been involved in the Covid-19 management. Health officials said that only Covishield will be given on Thursday to the front-line workers and those above the age of 50 have been given priority in the lists.

The vaccination of front-line staff will take place alongside the ongoing vaccination of healthcare workers, at public and private health facilities. The health department has already given vaccine jabs to almost 23,000 healthcare workers in the district. On Thursday, almost 650 health staff have to be covered at 31 session sites. On Wednesday, 627 of the 700 targeted healthcare workers turned up to receive their jabs at 21 sites.

Officials said the inoculation of healthcare workers has already reached a saturation point in the district. Therefore, to retain the pace of vaccination, ensuring minimal vaccine wastage, the health department will begin the inoculation of almost 18,000 registered front-line staff.

“Vaccination of front-line and healthcare workers will continue simultaneously at 44 identified locations. For front-line workers, office buildings or community centres near their workplace have been chosen to ensure the staff can reach the vaccination site anytime from 9am to 5pm,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer.

For Gurugram police, session sites have been set up at five spots — the police commissionerate, DCP traffic tower, police lines, police stations at Sohna and Manesar. To facilitate vaccination of MCG workers, five sites have been set up at the MCG’s Sector 34 office, community centres in Sector 27 and Sector 10A, Islampur and Sukhrali. For the employees of revenue department, inoculation will be held at the Mini Secretariat building.

“The vaccination sites have been set up based on the facilities suggested by the respective departments,” said Dr MP Singh, district immunisation officer. “The staff can walk in easily at specific vaccination sites allocated to the particular department. Police personnel can walk in at any of the five sites. An MCG worker can do the same. Each of these sites has been provided with the complete list of registered vaccine beneficiaries,” said Singh.

According to him, the three departments have been told to circulate messages regarding the inoculation. “Besides messages regarding vaccination being circulated through Co-WIN, the respective departments have been told to inform their employees about vaccination through their WhatsApp groups or text messages,” said Singh.

Dr Ashish Singh, chief medical officer, MCG, said that messages have been circulated through sanitation inspectors and supervisors at the MCG level. “Over 6,600 sanitation workers, firefighters and cremation staff, among others, have been registered. They have been encouraged to come forward for the vaccination,” he said.