Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) said Tuesday that 3.2 lakh people in Odisha will receive COVID-19 vaccination in the first phase. DMET director, Dr CBK Mohanty confirmed that the Odisha government has the necessary infrastructure ready to start COVID-19 vaccination.
Dr Mohanty said that the Odisha government will follow the central government guidelines. Healthcare and frontline workers will get priority in COVID-19 vaccination. It will be followed by vaccination of people who are above 60 years and those people who suffer from various comorbidities.
Addressing a press conference here Tuesday, Health and Family Welfare Department director Bijay Kumar Panigrahi said as per the existing data mostly healthcare workers will be vaccinated in the first phase in Odisha.
Panigrahi informed that there are 1,222 cold chains for the preservation of the COVID-19 vaccine, 1,796 ILR for transportation and 1,772 freezers in Odisha.
“There is one centralised state-level store, nine at the regional level while 32 more stores have been set up at the district-level. Five officials will be deployed for vaccination at every centre,” informed Panigrahi.
Dr Mohanty meanwhile said the COVID-19 vaccination drive will be undertaken as per the universal immunisation programme. He did not foresee any problems in carrying out the mass drive as all the facilities are in place. He however, requested the people not to drop their guards against COVID-19. He asserted that people should continue to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
PNN
