Mumbai civic body starts training doctors for Covid-19 vaccination

For the initial phase of Covid-19 vaccination, BMC has estimated the need to train around 2,500 people

As the city hopes to receive the Covid-19 vaccine by the first half of next year, the civic body has geared up to train doctors for the mass immunisation process. So far, 40 doctors have received training as master trainers, who will later train other doctors.

The civic body has identified eight hospitals as Covid-19 vaccination points. (HT FILE)

Even though the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been immunising children for years, this will be the first time that the civic body will vaccinate adults.

For the initial phase of Covid-19 vaccination, BMC has estimated the need to train around 2,500 people. “Though the process is similar [to other vaccination drives], we still need to provide training to our doctors. These 40 doctors have been trained for vaccine distribution, storage and transportation. We expect to complete their initial training by January 7, 2021,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, BMC.

Other than tertiary-care hospitals, training is being conducted at peripheral and special hospitals as well. Following this exercise, these trainers will train the vaccination team members at their respective centres and field-level staff.

Meanwhile, the civic body has identified eight hospitals — King Edward Memorial (KEM), Lokmanya Tilak General, BYL Nair, Cooper, Bhabha (Bandra), VN Desai, Rajawadi and Bharat Ratna Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar — as Covid-19 vaccination points.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner (health), said the civic body has decided to develop a real-time Covid-19 mobile application to monitor and regulate the vaccination process among the 2 crore-odd population of Mumbai.

“Along with vaccination process, we also need to train our employees in handling the app, which will help to centralise the system,” he said.

The civic body plans to vaccinate around one crore people within a month after the vaccine roll out. “To ensure better accessibility to people, we have plans to include schools and gymkhanas as the vaccination points,” said Kakani.